B.C. health authority fined $355K for insufficient response to care home violence
Repeated failures to properly address violent incidents at a long-term care home in Fort St. John, B.C., have resulted in a $355,244 fine against the local health authority.
WorkSafeBC issued the administrative penalty against Northern Health following an inspection at Peace Villa that was prompted when a worker was attacked by a resident.
"WorkSafeBC examined the employer's investigation reports for this and several previous incidents and found that they all lacked key information such as underlying causes and corrective action," reads a summary of the penalty decision posted online Wednesday.
The inspector ultimately determined Northern Health had failed to "take sufficient precautions for the prevention of work-related injuries or illnesses," or to "exercise due diligence to prevent these circumstances."
Administrative penalties are issued to motivate employers to comply with occupational health and safety rules. Employers, workers, unions and other parties have the option of requesting a review of penalty decisions within 45 days.
In a statement, Northern Health told CTV News is will be "assessing the penalty" and providing additional information to WorkSafeBC about steps that have already been taken to address safety concerns at the long-term care home.
Officials also said the health authority's injury rate is "lower than the provincial health-care average."
"In Peace Villa, our measurable rates are trending positively, (including) reduced violent interactions," the statement added.
Northern Health cited "administrative challenges" that have made it difficult to complete robust investigative reports, and said officials have proposed more funding to "improve the provincial incident investigation platform" to help staff fulfill their obligations.
The B.C. Nurses' Union said the fine against Northern Health underscores "system-wide failures" to protect health-care workers on the job, and called for an audit of every occupational health and safety report filed across the province over the last year to ensure they were done properly.
In a statement, union president Aman Grewal acknowledged the government's plan to hire hundreds of new security officers for hospitals and health-care facilities, but said the incidents in Northern Health show "there is much more that needs to happen within health authorities to make worksites safer for nurses and all health-care workers."
WorkSafeBC's summary did not detail any of the incidents that were investigated at Peace Villa. The BCNU told CTV News it could not provide any further information on safety concerns at the care home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.