The Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has reaffirmed the authority of Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) to cite healthcare employers for workplace violence under its General Duty Clause. In a February 13, 2026 decision, Cedar Springs Hospital v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), No. 24-9519 (10th Cir. 2026), the Tenth Circuit upheld OSHA citations issued to a Colorado psychiatric hospital, rejecting three main arguments posited in the hospital’s defense, including the position that Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) already has authority over hospital employee safety.
The Tenth Circuit stated that CMS’ oversight of patient safety does not displace OSHA’s responsibility to protect employee safety and reaffirmed that OSHA remains free to enforce the General Duty Clause to protect employees without issuing a formal workplace violence standard.
For a more in-depth look at the ruling and its implications, we urge hospitals to take a moment to read the full details at Husch Blackwell’s Safety Law Matters blog.