B.C. health authority fined nearly $275K after staff exposed to illicit substance
B.C.’s Interior Health Authority was fined nearly $275,000 after 10 workers were exposed to illicit substances at a hospital in Penticton.
WorkSafe BC posted the notice of penalty online, saying a fine of $274,073.89 was imposed on Aug. 1, providing some details about the incident.
“A noxious odour had been detected coming from a patient room and a service request was submitted,” the notice says, adding that two workers became ill and eight others were exposed.
There is no mention of what the substance was, exactly, but the notice says the health authority is being fined – in part – because “the employer's safe work procedure for responding to illicit substances had not been adequately communicated to workers, and they had not received training on the process to follow.”
In addition, WorkSafe found that procedures to prevent or minimize employee exposure were not implemented.
“This was a repeated violation,” the notice concludes.
The issue of drug use within hospitals and the possibility of health-care workers being at risk ignited several days of heated debate in the legislature last spring.
One solution that was proposed was ensuring all hospitals have safe consumption sites for patients who use drugs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parts of Canada hit with freezing rain, heavy snowfall warnings, expected to last through Monday
Significant snowfall and heavy rain hit parts of Canada on Sunday and the weather system is expected to continue into Monday morning and throughout the day.
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader of the insurgency in Syria, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing to ties to al-Qaida.
Suspect wanted after victim forcibly confined, assaulted, and threatened with death in Scarborough
Police have released images of an individual who allegedly forcibly confined, and assaulted and threatened to kill another person in southwest Scarborough over the weekend.
Jay-Z accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old in 2000 incident along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs
A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Sean 'Diddy' Combs has amended her lawsuit to include allegations that she was also assaulted by Jay-Z at the same party.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer
The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's has stretched beyond New York City and continues. Here's what we know so far.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025
Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.