Protection from Physical Violence in the Emergency Department Environment

Revised and approved by the ACEP Board of Directors April 2008 and June 2011
Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors October 2001 and October 1997
Originally approved by the ACEP Board of Directors January 1993 

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) believes that optimal patient care can be achieved only when patients, health care workers, and all other persons in the emergency department (ED) are protected against violent acts occurring within the department. As such, ACEP advocates for increased awareness of violence against health care workers in the ED and for increased safety measures in all EDs. Further, ACEP encourages all states to enact legislation that provides a maximum category of offense and criminal penalty against individuals who commit violence against health care workers in the ED.

To ensure the security of the ED environment, the hospital has the following responsibilities:

• Provide a best-practices security system including adequate security personnel, sufficient training of personnel, physical barriers, surveillance equipment, and other security components.
• Coordinate the hospital security system with local law enforcement agencies.
• Develop written emergency department protocols for violent situations occurring in the ED to ensure the safety of patients and health care workers alike.
• Educate staff on preventing, recognizing, and dealing with potentially violent situations.
• Conduct ongoing assessments of the ED security system performance.
• Maximum criminal prosecution will be pursued against those individuals who commit violent acts against health care workers, when deemed appropriate, based on the circumstances of the incident.

Additionally, ACEP recognizes that the EMS system is an integral component of emergency care and supports and encourages efforts to protect EMS personnel against physical violence in the prehospital environment.