2019 California Code
Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC
DIVISION 4 - MENTAL HEALTH
PART 2 - ADMINISTRATION OF STATE INSTITUTIONS FOR THE MENTALLY DISORDERED
CHAPTER 1 - Jurisdiction and General Government
Section 4141.

(a) (1) Each state hospital shall update its injury and illness prevention plan at least once a year to include necessary safeguards to prevent workplace safety hazards in connection with workplace violence associated with patient assaults on employees.

(2) Updated injury and illness prevention plans shall address, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) Control of physical access throughout the hospital and grounds.

(B) Alarm systems.

(C) Presence of security personnel.

(D) Training.

(E) Buddy systems.

(F) Communication.

(G) Emergency responses.

(3) (A) The department shall submit the updated injury and illness prevention plans to the Legislature every two years.

(B) (i) The requirement for submitting the updated injury and illness prevention plans imposed pursuant to subparagraph (A) is inoperative four years after the date the first report is due, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(ii) Updated injury and illness prevention plans submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(b) Each state hospital shall establish an injury and illness prevention committee comprised of hospital management and employees designated by the hospital’s director in consultation with the employee bargaining units. The committee shall be responsible for providing recommendations to the hospital director for updates to the injury and illness prevention plan. The committee shall meet at least four times per year.

(c) Each state hospital shall develop an incident reporting procedure that can be used, at a minimum, to develop reports of patient assaults on employees and assist the hospital in identifying risks of patient assaults on employees. Data obtained from the incident reporting procedures shall be accessible to staff. The incident reporting procedure shall be designed to provide hospital management with immediate notification of reported incidents. The hospital shall provide for timely and efficient responses and investigations to incident reports made under the incident reporting procedure. Incident reports shall also be forwarded to the injury and illness prevention committee established pursuant to subdivision (b).

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 76, Sec. 203. (AB 383) Effective January 1, 2014.)