As violence rose, S.F. health workers say safety proposals were ignored

"Employees and patients at the HIV/AIDS clinic Ward 86 report that, following Rangel's death, more sheriff's deputies now guard and scan patients at a major entrance to the hospital. But the nurses' union has repeatedly asked for these exact protocols over the last six years, according to letters to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, meeting notes, and bargaining proposals from 2024."

"By October 2025, there were 51 such incidents, a 60 percent increase. Hospitals across the country show similar increases in workplace violence. Nationwide, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found hospitals one of the most hazardous places to work. "We're given a bunch of lip service that DPH is in the process of making things better," said a nurse with San Francisco's SEIU 1021 union. "Things just aren't getting better.""

Alberto Rangel, a social worker, was fatally stabbed Dec. 4 at a clinic within San Francisco General Hospital. Healthcare workers report repeated grievances and proposals for stronger safety precautions that were ignored for years. After the killing, administrators increased security, including more sheriff's deputies who now guard and scan patients at a major entrance. The nurses' union says identical protocols had been requested for six years through letters, meeting notes, and bargaining proposals. Reported workplace violence incidents rose from 32 in October 2024 to 51 in October 2025, and 495 incidents were documented between October 2024 and October 2025; 65 percent involved physical violence. Nurses say responses remain inadequate despite promises of improvement.

Read at Mission Local