New measures see the hiring of additional protection officers in the sector
The British Columbia government has introduced a string of measures to ensure the safety of healthcare workplaces following a spike of aggression cases against health workers in the pandemic.
The government said it will provide funding to health authorities so they can establish a model to ensure that security personnel know how to anticipate, de-escalate, and prevent aggression. The protection services personnel will also be trained in workplace violence prevention, mental health, and advanced customer service.
"Integrating this new security model into our health-care facilities will help protect health-care workers from violence – be it physical, emotional or verbal – and allow them to complete their shifts safely," said labour minister Harry Bains.
Read more: Law prohibiting workplace threats comes into play in Ontario
The government will also hire 320 in-house protection services offices and 14 violence prevention leads as part of the new policy. The measures come at a time when healthcare workers face "increased hostility," according to health services association president Kane Tse.
"We welcome today's announcement for recognizing and responding to the importance of workplace violence, providing a significant update on the violence prevention curriculum, and increasing efforts to strengthen protections for the specialized health professionals who protect us all, every day," said Tse.
Increased funding for SWITCH BC
Meanwhile, SWITCH BC, an organization focused on addressing workplace safety, will also receive a $2million investment from the government. The organization seeks to ensure that all healthcare workers and medical staff are given standard education in violence mitigation and de-escalation.
"Everyone working in health care has the right to be safe and healthy, to thrive on the job and to return home safely to family and friends. That's why we are inviting everyone working in health care to share their experiences as we refresh violence prevention training," said Victoria Schmid, SWITCH BC CEO. "This will help shape an inclusive, diverse and trauma-informed program that better meets the needs of health-care teams now and into the future."
Read more: Verbal abuse is workplace violence, rules arbitrator
The provincial government's efforts to improve workplace safety for the healthcare sector is part of its Health Human Resources Strategy. Similar initiatives to protect healthcare workers have been introduced in other provinces, including in Ontario, where the government has banned individuals from harassing health workers in a new law.