Safe Workplaces Act

This legislation, known as the Safe Workplaces Act, mandates the Secretary of Labor, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to develop and issue nonmandatory guidance aimed at reducing workplace violence. Before this guidance is issued, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must conduct a comprehensive study on workplace violence reduction and submit a report with recommendations to the Secretary of Labor and relevant congressional committees within 15 months of the bill's enactment. The Secretary of Labor is required to issue this guidance within four years of the bill's enactment, considering the NIOSH report's recommendations, as well as factors like engineering controls , dangerous weapons, and environmental risk factors. This guidance will outline specific activities and work practice controls that workplaces can implement to mitigate violence. Crucially, the guidance must be differentiated to account for the unique characteristics and potential for threats across a wide variety of workplaces, including grocery stores, hospitals, schools, and manufacturing facilities, ensuring its relevance and applicability to diverse environments.