A private state prison for men, located in South Bay, Florida was discovered to be in violation of recognized safety practices which left its employees vulnerable to attacks from prisoners. This disregard for standard protocol was uncovered during a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
In a public statement released by the DOL, it was found that employees at the South Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility, managed by GEO Group Inc., were exposed to violent assaults and potential injuries due to non-compliance with safety protocols. In one such instance, an employee had been struck in the face with a rock by an inmate.
The DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) initiated their investigation after they were informed that an employee had been hospitalized two days after an incident occurred within the facility. The delay in reporting breaches OSHA's rule mandating employers to report an inpatient hospitalization of any employee within 24 hours.
"Healthcare workers are significantly more at risk of attacks than other professionals. It is a matter of serious concern," stated Condell Eastmond, OSHA Area Office Director based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "Employers like GEO Group are aware of these hazards but have failed time and again to safeguard their employees' interests. A nurse endured a brutal attack due to this negligence which highlights the urgency for immediate protective measures."
In May, a prisoner assaulted a nurse using a rock as a weapon while she held open a door inside a medical room for an inmate on wheelchair duty resulting in her suffering broken nasal bones and cuts on her forehead.
The OSHA cited GEO Group for multiple violations including failure to maintain safe workplace conditions free from recognized health hazards such as physical assaults from inmates that could potentially result in severe physical harm. Alongside another similar incident where an employee was hospitalized without informing OSHA within 24 hours resulted in $26,787 proposed penalties levied against GEO Group.
