Conduct a workplace assessment by visually inspecting units, reviewing injury and illness logs and workplace violence incident reports, and surveying membership.
Identify and adopt specific actions that would improve workplace safety (e.g., demanding an additional security guard in a specific location during specific hours is more likely to be achievable than just generally demanding more security guards overall).
Organize members around obtaining the chosen goals. Start with notifying management through a letter or labor-management meeting. Increase the heat if management doesn’t respond adequately. Be creative! Achieving your demands may be hard, but persistence pays off.
Attend NYSNA’s Violence in the Healthcare Setting workshop. To view the workshop schedule and register for a class, go to the Health and Safety page at www.nysna.org
Contact your union representative, or the NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety Representatives at healthandsafety@nysna.org for additional assistance.
