What BLS 2024 SOII Says About Hospital Assault Injuries and OSHA Logs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do patient-caused injuries have to be evaluated for OSHA recordkeeping?

Yes. If the event is work-related and meets OSHA’s general recording criteria, it should be evaluated the same way as any other workplace injury.

Why do hospital violence cases get missed on the OSHA log?

The article points to fragmented workflows, delayed symptom reporting, inconsistent definitions, and poor coordination between security, employee health, HR, and EHS.

What internal records should hospitals compare against the OSHA log?

Compare employee incident reports, security reports, occupational health records, treatment documentation, workers’ compensation notices, and OSHA log entries.

Is the OSHA log enough for workplace violence prevention?

No. The OSHA log shows which cases became recordable, but hospitals should also review near misses and non-injury assault events to understand patterns and prevention gaps.

What is the most useful first step for improving accuracy?

Start with an audit of recent violence-related cases from security and employee health against the OSHA log, then standardize routing and review steps across departments.