The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
Confusion exists over whether or not there are regulations pertaining to workplace violence that OSHA can or does enforce. There is a “General Duty Clause” on which they rely that addresses employers’ responsibility when there was some foreknowledge by the employer of a hazard of workplace violence and he does not take steps to prevent or address it.
Here is a quote from OSHA on this:
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)1 mandates that, in addition to compliance with hazard-specific standards, all employers have a general duty to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA will rely on Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, the “General Duty Clause,”2 for enforcement authority. Failure to implement these guidelines is not in itself a violation of the General Duty Clause. However, employers can be cited for violating the General Duty Clause if there is a recognized hazard of workplace violence in their establishments and they do nothing to prevent or abate it.