Watch CBS News

State Mental Hospital Workers To Protest 'Dangerous' Conditions

LOS ANGELES (AP) — State workers plan to rally outside a Norwalk mental hospital Wednesday to protest what they're calling dangerous working conditions.

Union spokeswoman Sue Wilson says Metropolitan State Hospital is one of the state's facilities where enough isn't being done to prevent assaults.

According to state statistics, there is an average of 3.6 patient-on-staff assaults every day at Metropolitan State.

A nurse was killed in the past year at Napa State Hospital.

Worker safety conditions have become a major point of contention between the union and the state's Department of Mental Health, which oversees mental hospitals.

DMH did not return an after-hours phone call for comment Tuesday.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.