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Workplace Violence Citations Upheld by Federal Judge
A Department of Labor (DOL) administrative law judge, Dennis Phillips, found hospital management companies UHS of Delaware Inc. and Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida Inc. exposed workers to workplace violence and showed bad faith by allowing the destruction of surveillance videos showing instances of workplace violence at a Bradenton, Florida, psychiatric facility. Phillips assessed a $12,934 penalty and ordered UHS and Premier to pay $9,600 in attorneys’ fees as a sanction for the bad-faith destruction of video surveillance evidence.
Vitalii Vodolazskyi / Shutterstock.com
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an investigation at Suncoast Behavioral Health Center in 2017 after a patient jumped over a nurse’s station and stabbed an employee with a pair of scissors. On April 24, 2018, OSHA issued a citation for a repeat violation of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act’s
Federal Judge Finds Florida Behavioral Healthcare Center Exposes Employees to More than 50 Attacks
UHS of Delaware Inc. and Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida were both fined for not protecting workers.
By Shereen Hashem
May 06, 2021
Workplace violence exposure was determined by a federal administrative law judge at a Bradenton behavioral healthcare center. The center and its management company exposed its workers to more than 50 attacks in a two-and-a-half-year period “when residents kicked, punched, bit, scratched, pulled and used desk scissors as a weapon, and that both entities deserve to be sanctioned for destroying surveillance videos,” according to a press release.
05/04/21
WorkersCompensation.com
Bradenton, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - A federal administrative law judge has determined that a Bradenton behavioral healthcare center and its management company exposed workers to more than 50 attacks in a two-and-a-half-year period when residents kicked, punched, bit, scratched, pulled and used desk scissors as a weapon, and that both entities deserve to be sanctioned for destroying surveillance videos showing this workplace violence.
In a 170-page decision, U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge Dennis Phillips found UHS of Delaware Inc. – a hospital management company – and Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida Inc. exposed workers to workplace violence, and showed bad faith in allowing the destruction of videos that showed instances of workplace violence at the facility. Premier operates as Suncoast Behavioral Health Center in Bradenton. UHS, one of the nation s largest healthcare service providers, manages Suncoast
Personalized Estate Liquidation Benefiting Youth Inc.
PEL s donation to the coalition s Schoolhouse Link program will support homeless students and youths who are on their own, without a stable place to stay in Sarasota County.
This donation will help provide stability to vulnerable youths/young adults with short-term housing subsidies while they pursue their education. It will promote family and youth wellness by providing funding for uncovered medical care, emergency medication and supportive counseling.
The donation also will assist homeless students with scholarships for ancillary expenses, such as application fees, books, uniforms and computers, as they transition from high school to college or technical training opportunities.