https://news.ontario.ca/mol/en/2017/05/keeping-health-care-professionals-safe-on-the-job.html
May 15, 2017
Ontario Moving Forward with Recommendations to Prevent Workplace Violence
Ontario is continuing to enhance safety for health care professionals at work by implementing recommendations from the
Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care Report, released today.
Due
to the nature of their work, health care workers, including nurses and
doctors, face a number of workplace hazards such as exposure to
infectious diseases, ergonomic hazards, slips, trips and falls, as well
as violence.
Ontario's Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care
Leadership Table
endorsed 23 recommendations and outlined further practical steps needed
to make hospitals safer, reduce incidents of workplace violence in
hospitals and across the health sector and change attitudes around
safety for health care workers.
Ontario is making progress on a number of these recommendations, including:
- Developing
resources and supports to help hospitals create a psychologically safe
and healthy workplace based on the Canadian Standards Association
- Creating
a campaign aimed at increasing awareness and preventing workplace
violence amongst health care professionals, including nurses
- Increasing supports for patients with known aggressive or violent behaviours
- Creating reliable reporting systems for workplace violence incidents
- Posting information about all government fines against employers in health care under $50,000
The
Leadership Table will continue to work on recommendations to help
prevent violence against all hospital workers and the broader health
care sector.
Protecting the health and safety of health care
professionals is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and
help people in their everyday lives.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario’s
Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care Leadership Table brought
together key stakeholders and experts, including patient advocates, to
help develop the recommendations in this report focused on preventing
violence against nurses.
- Since
2003, Ontario’s annual rate of workplace injuries has dropped by more
than 50 per cent, making the province’s workplaces the safest in Canada
and among the safest in the world.
- The
health care sector represents 11.7 per cent of Ontario’s labour market
and is the largest sector impacted by violence in the workplace.
- Violence claims make up 11 per cent of the lost-time injuries in hospitals.
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QUOTES
"Violence
in our workplaces will not be tolerated. Progress on workplace violence
in health care cannot wait — it is an urgent and serious issue.
Together, our government and all its partners in the health care sector
and the occupational health and safety system need to ensure workers
have a safe and healthy workplace, and ensure they will return home to
their loved ones safe and sound after a hard day’s work. By putting
forward these recommendations, Ontario is moving towards delivering
real, positive change for our health care workers."
— Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour
"Workplace
violence is never acceptable. Our government is committed to continuing
to work with our health sector partners to prevent workplace violence
and ensure that patients and health care providers have the supports
they need."
— Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
"Violence
cannot be tolerated in our workplaces. The workplace violence progress
report is a step in the right direction to prevent violence in health
care. I look forward to the continued development of practical solutions
to ensure health care workers and our patients are safe."
— Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, President, Ontario Nurses' Association
"Ontario
hospitals strive to create and maintain a safe work environment for all
employees, enabling high quality care to patients and clients. I am
proud of the ongoing commitment shown by our member hospitals and
partners in preventing workplace violence. No one should be subject to
violence in the workplace."
— Anthony Dale, President & CEO, Ontario Hospital Association
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