Atascadero State Hospital continues to have multiple employee injuries with aggressive patients injuring 12 employees in March. [Tribune]
Preliminary reports from ASH show that the assaults occurred from March 5 through the 28 and resulted in injuries including bruising, swelling and joint pain.
Most injuries in March occurred during one on one incidents between patients and employees, but twice patients managed to injure multiple employees simultaneously.
On March 5, three members of the nursing staff sustained minor injuries while attempting to stabilize a patient on a housing unit. On March 25, an aggressive patient tussled with a police officer, causing a minor injury, and then injured three nursing staff while they attempted to stabilize him.
Stabilization incidents occur when patients resist staff members who are trying to calm them and become violent instead.
Last November, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined ASH $27,000 for frequent patient assaults on employees. The Cal/OSHA report stated that an average of 10 patient caused injuries occurred each month in 2012 from January to September.
