BILL NUMBER: S1746

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the labor law, in relation to developing and implement-
ing programs to prevent workplace violence in public schools

 
PURPOSE:

This bill amends section 27-b of the Labor Law to include public schools
within the provisions of current law designed to require public employ-
ers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

An amendment is made within section 27-b of the Labor law.  EXISTING LAW
In 2006, public schools were excluded as an 'employer' based on an
established amendment within the Labor law. Since public schools are
excluded as an employer, they do not have to develop and implement work-
place violence protection programs.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Workplace violence is an increasingly visible element in today's work-
places. This bill would assist both employers and employees in ensuring
a safe work environment.

Workplace violence is now one of the leading causes of death on the job
in the United States and the leading cause of workplace fatalities for
women. Enactment of this bill would require school districts, with at
least 20 full-time permanent employees, to develop and implement
programs to prevent workplace violence, must evaluate the potential
risks of workplace violence that exist within their workplaces, and then
develop and implement a written workplace violence prevention program to
prevent and minimize the hazard of workplace violence to their employ-
ees.

Violence is a substantial contributor to occupational injury and death,
and homicide has become the second leading cause of occupational injury
death. Each week, an average of 20 workers are murdered and 18,000 are
assaulted while at work or on duty. Nonfatal assaults result in millions
of lost workdays and cost workers millions of dollars in lost wages.

Workplace violence is clustered in certain occupational settings, for
example, the retail trade and service industries account for more than
half of workplace homicides and 85% of nonfatal workplace assaults.

Taxicab drivers have the highest risk of workplace homicides of any
occupational group. Workers in health care, community services, and
retail settings are at increased risk of nonfatal assaults. Risk factors
for workplace violence include dealing with the public, the exchange of
money, and the delivery of services or goods, prevention strategies for
minimizing the risk of workplace violence include (but are not limited
to) cash-handling policies, physical separation of workers from custom-
ers, good lighting, security devices, escort services, and employee
training.


A workplace violence prevention program should include a system for
documenting incidents, procedures to be taken in the event of incidents,
and open communication between employers and workers.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

Fiscal implications of $287,000 for the Department of Labor and the
hiring of three new inspectors.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law, with provisions