Bill to protect health workers from workplace violence

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would require employers, both public and private, to adopt minimum measures to prevent and avoid violence against health workers by third parties.
2. It defines who counts as health personnel, employer, workplace and violence in the health care setting, including physical or verbal aggression such as threats, insults or coercion.
3. Employers would have to assess the risk of violence and draw up a prevention plan with structural, active, reactive, organizational and training measures, after consulting workers' representatives.
4. Health workers would have the right to protection measures, training, and a presumption of truthfulness when reporting an attack with no witnesses. Violent acts would count as workplace accidents and must be reported to the employer within 24 hours.
5. A national register of attacks would be created, along with psychological support and help filing complaints for victims, a group insurance policy with free legal services, and the right to request a transfer to another workplace without any loss of pay.
6. The Ministry of Health would run awareness campaigns every two years and, together with the Ministry of Labor, would create a National Observatory against Violence in the Health Care Setting.

Who it affects

• Public and private employers of health personnel: Would have to assess risks, draw up prevention plans, take out insurance and support victims.
• Health workers: Would gain protection, training, reporting and transfer rights, plus duties to report risks.
• Ministry of Health: Would have to create the national register of attacks and the awareness campaigns.
• State law enforcement agencies: Would join the national observatory and coordinate police action.

Words worth knowing

Proposición de ley

A bill: a text through which a parliamentary group proposes a new law. It is not an approved law until the legislative process ends.

Servicio de prevención

The employer's service in charge of preventing workplace risks for workers.

Delegado de prevención

A worker chosen from among staff representatives to monitor compliance with safety measures.

Accidente laboral

Workplace accident: harm suffered by a worker because of their job, which gives the right to benefits.

Presunción de veracidad

The victim's report is taken as true without needing witnesses, though it can later be checked.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries