The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Health and Safety Administration has fined New York City-based Montefiore Medical Center after the agency said it found that employees, including nurses, assistants, technicians and security personnel, were exposed to workplace violence.
Montefiore, an academic medical center that is part of the Montefiore Health System, was fined $13,653 for failing to keep workers safe, as well as $3,902 for incomplete, inaccurate and untimely injury and illness incident reports, according to an OSHA news release from Jan. 14.
In a statement shared with Becker's, the medical center said it is "in the process of responding to OSHA's claims. Certainly, the health and safety of our staff and patients are our highest priority."
OSHA issued the fines following an inspection of the facility.
The agency said it found the medical center lacked adequate safeguards for employees in the pediatric emergency department of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore. Specifically, OSHA said it found the facility "ignored repeated episodes of physical assault that put their employees at risk," and failed to implement and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention program.
Montefiore was given 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings.