EXCEPTION: 1: This section does not apply to the following facilities operated by the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and scheduled to close by the end of 2021:
EXCEPTION: 2: This section shall not apply to facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. These facilities shall still comply with Section 3203.
"Acute psychiatric hospital" (APH) means a hospital, licensed by the California Department of Public Health as such meeting the definition provided in Health and Safety Code Section 1250(b) or California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Section 71005; and all services within the hospital's license.
"Alarm" means a mechanical, electrical or electronic device that does not rely upon an employee's vocalization in order to alert others.
"Chief" means the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Industrial Relations, or his or her designated representative.
"Dangerous weapon" means an instrument capable of inflicting death or serious bodily injury.
"Division" means the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Industrial Relations.
"Emergency" means unanticipated circumstances that can be life-threatening or pose a risk of significant injuries to the patient, staff or public, requiring immediate action.
"Emergency medical services" means medical care provided pursuant to Title 22, Division 9, by employees who are certified EMT-1, certified EMT-II, or licensed paramedic personnel to the sick and injured at the scene of an emergency, during transport, or during inter-facility transfer.
"Engineering controls" means an aspect of the built space or a device that removes a hazard from the workplace or creates a barrier between the worker and the hazard. For purposes of reducing workplace violence hazards, engineering controls include, as applicable, but are not limited to: electronic access controls to employee occupied areas; weapon detectors (installed or handheld); enclosed workstations with shatter-resistant glass; deep service counters; separate rooms or areas for high risk patients; locks on doors; furniture affixed to the floor; opaque glass in patient rooms (protects privacy, but allows the health care provider to see where the patient is before entering the room); closed-circuit television monitoring and video recording; sight-aids; and personal alarm devices.
"Environmental risk factors" means factors in the facility or area in which health care services or operations are conducted that may contribute to the likelihood or severity of a workplace violence incident. Environmental risk factors include risk factors associated with the specific task being performed, such as the collection of money.
"General acute care hospital" (GACH) means a hospital, licensed by the California Department of Public Health as such meeting the definition provided in Health and Safety Code Section 1250(a) or California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Section 70005, and all services within the hospital's license.
"Health facility" means any facility, place, or building that is organized, maintained, and operated for the diagnosis, care, prevention, or treatment of human illness, physical or mental, including convalescence and rehabilitation and including care during and after pregnancy, or for any one or more of these purposes, for one or more persons, to which the persons are admitted for a 24-hour stay or longer. (Ref: Health and Safety Code Section 1250). For the purposes of this section, a health facility includes hospital based outpatient clinics (HBOCs) and other operations located at a health facility, and all off-site operations included within the license of the health facility. The term "health facility" includes facilities with the following bed classifications, as established by the California Department of Public Health:
"Patient classification system" means a method for establishing staffing requirements by unit, patient, and shift based on the assessment of individual patients by the registered nurse as specified in Title 22, Sections 70053.2 and 70217, for General Acute Care Hospitals.
"Patient contact" means providing a patient with treatment, observation, comfort, direct assistance, bedside evaluations, office evaluations, and any other action that involves or allows direct physical contact with the patient.
"Patient specific risk factors" means factors specific to a patient that may increase the likelihood or severity of a workplace violence incident, such as use of drugs or alcohol, psychiatric condition or diagnosis associated with increased risk of violence, any condition or disease process that would cause confusion and/or disorientation, or history of violence.
"Threat of violence" means a statement or conduct that causes a person to fear for his or her safety because there is a reasonable possibility the person might be physically injured, and that serves no legitimate purpose.
"Work practice controls" means procedures, rules and staffing which are used to effectively reduce workplace violence hazards. Work practice controls include, as applicable, but are not limited to: appropriate staffing levels; provision of dedicated safety personnel (i.e. security guards); employee training on workplace violence prevention methods; and employee training on procedures to follow in the event of a workplace violence incident.
"Workplace violence" means any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs at the work site. The term workplace violence shall not include lawful acts of self-defense or defense of others. Workplace violence includes the following:
NOTE: "Injury," as used in subsection (g)(1)(A), means an injury meeting the criteria in Section 14300.7(b)(1).
NOTE: to (g)(1): These reports do not relieve the employer of the requirements of Section 342 to immediately report a serious injury, illness, or death to the nearest Division district office.
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 3342
Note: Authority: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 142.3 and 6401.8, Labor Code.