February 26, 2008

Standard: Establishing and Maintaining Worker Safety

Worker safety is an important issue in today's social service environment. Substance use, domestic violence, and environmental hazards increase the potential risks social workers face daily. Additional challenges include the geographic and social diversity within the area. Risk reduction in an urban setting may be dramatically different from risk reduction in a rural setting. Though risk to workers cannot be completely eliminated, it can be dramatically reduced by increasing awareness.

The purpose of this guide is to provide direction and guidance to the Children and Family Services (CFS) programs regarding establishing and maintaining worker safety, both in the office and in conducting fieldwork. It is intended to achieve consistency in the development and application of CFS services and shall be implemented in the context of all applicable laws, rules, and policies.