Workers at the Hawai‘i State Hospital have endured a pattern of violent assaults for the past 11 years, according to data from the Hawai‘i Department of Health.
Workers have been attacked by patients about three times per week — at least 1,207 assaults on staff and 507 attempted assaults between 2013 and 2023, according to the data. Incidents reported at Hawai’i’s only state-run psychiatric facility range from kicking and hitting to more serious incidents that require medical treatment.
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Hospital’s Troubled Past
For years, the Hawai‘i State Hospital has been plagued by issues that have placed the safety of staff at risk, including substandard living conditions for patients and an insufficient number of staff to supervise them. Patients have even escaped; in one high-profile case, a dangerous patient managed to break out of the facility and boarded a flight to California.
Perhaps most disturbing is a recent incident in which a nurse was stabbed to death by a patient inside a transitional housing unit on the hospital’s campus.
Hospital employees have spoken out about unsafe working conditions, and a special committee formed to investigate. The committee found that the hospital was ill-equipped to handle violent, unstable patients who had been placed there by the criminal courts.
Although the state built a new hospital designed to treat forensic patients in a more secure environment, the same problems persist. Staff continue to face a threat of attack, and other issues have gone unaddressed, such as understaffing and subpar security protocols.
What are Employers’ Obligations to Protect Workers?
According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace for employees and take proactive measures that are in line with OSHA guidelines, including:
- Providing a workplace free from serious recognized hazards
- Ensuring workplace conditions conform to standards
The state of Hawai‘i has similar laws. Under §396 of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS), employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace. This law states:
- “Every employer shall furnish to each of the employer’s employees employment and a place of employment which are safe as well as free from recognized hazards.”
- “No employer shall require or direct or permit or suffer any employee to go or be in any employment or place of employment which is not free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
Consider the following:
- 5,283 workers were killed by on-the-job injuries in the U.S. in 2023
- 4,543 workplace deaths were found to be preventable in 2023
- 2.6 million U.S. workers reported on-the-job injuries and illnesses in 2023
Given these statistics, it’s clear that employers have a major role to play when it comes to ensuring a safe environment for their workers.
How Do We Fight Corporate Negligence?
Seek justice with the help of our experienced Hawai‘i attorneys. We’ve battled corporate giants on behalf of individuals like you for over 40 years, aggressively fighting those responsible for personal injury and wrongful death caused by corporate wrongdoing and fraud committed against the government. If you’ve suffered catastrophic injury or loss caused by corporate negligence or believe you have a government whistleblower case, we can help. Contact us for a free consultation. Contact is kept confidential.
