Ohio House Bill 452: New and Revised Security Plan Requirements for Preventing Workplace Violence in Hospital Systems

Ohio House Bill 452 
Effective: April 9, 2025
Chapter 3727: Hospitals

§3727.18(A) – Each hospital system and each hospital that is not part of a hospital system, shall establish a security plan for preventing workplace violence. 

(B)(3) The plan shall require at least one hospital employee trained in de-escalation practices to be present at all times in the hospital’s emergency department and psychiatric department. 

(B)(4) – The plan shall outline training requirements for security personnel regarding all of the following: 

(a) The potential use of and response to weapons; 

The CPI training program provides staff with risk assessment criteria designed to evaluate perceived threats. This framework helps in assessing potentially dangerous situations. While our training does not specifically address tactical responses to weapons, it equips staff with a structured approach to assess risk and determine the safest course of action. CPI's Decision-Making Matrix^SM helps individuals evaluate the likelihood and severity of harm to guide their response, prioritizing de-escalation and nonviolent intervention whenever possible.

(b) Defensive tactics; 

CPI employs verbal and physical techniques to mitigate and prevent violent behavior, with a strong emphasis on prevention as the primary focus of our training. In addition to this, we provide instruction on verbal de-escalation and physical disengagement strategies to effectively address situations that staff may be unable to prevent.

(c) De-escalation techniques;

The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® curriculum focuses on prevention by recognizing the early warning signs of potential crisis situations and equipping staff with nonverbal and verbal de-escalation skills. 

(d) Appropriate physical restraint and seclusion techniques;

The CPI Crisis Development Model℠ incorporates both verbal and physical intervention techniques. We emphasize that the least restrictive form of intervention should always be prioritized before employing any physical restraint. As part of this training, we introduce a decision-making matrix or risk assessment tool that guides staff in evaluating the appropriate level of intervention based on the assessed risk. The Decision-Making Matrix℠ and the Physical Skills Review are essential resources that support staff in their decision-making regarding the use of physical restraints. The physical restraint techniques include lower-, medium-, and higher-level holding skills designed to safely manage risk-related behaviors

(e) Crisis intervention; 

CPI training includes the Crisis Development Model℠, which outlines identifiable behavior levels that an individual may experience during a crisis. Additionally, it provides guidance on appropriate staff attitudes and strategies to effectively de-escalate challenging behaviors.

(f) Trauma-informed approaches; and

CPI’s trauma-informed, person-centered training will equip staff with the necessary skills to identify and assess instances of workplace violence. Furthermore, the training will provide prevention strategies, including verbal de-escalation techniques and physical disengagement skills, to effectively manage incidents that may arise.

(g) Safely addressing situations involving individuals who pose a risk of self-harm or harm to others. 

The CPI training program provides staff with risk assessment criteria to evaluate any perceived threats. This framework enables personnel to assess potentially dangerous situations and determine the appropriate response, ensuring the highest level of safety for all individuals involved.