Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare is taking steps to keep its staff members safe.
The hospital has unveiled an employee awareness campaign designed to improve safety.
In 2018, there were 40 incidents of workplace violence at the hospital in which an employee was injured.
The new awareness campaign involves training and a series of videos to encourage the reporting of any violence or injuries.
Poster at Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare encouraging reporting workplace violence, March 4, 2019 (Photo by AM800's Peter Langille)
Hospital CEO Janice Kaffer says the message to staff is clear.
"We've trained all of our staff on preventative measures, we're doing a video series but I think most importantly in terms of starting the awareness campaign, is from the board of directors and the executive team, making a statement that we are committed to a safe workplace," she says.
Kaffer also says she is personally invested in the idea.
"A lot of people are surprised to know the CEO does all the training as well, but it's important because I could be doing a walkabout on a unit, and myself, be engaged in an unsafe situation because I never know when that's going to happen," she says.
Ontario Nurses Association Health and Safety Specialist Erna Bujna, March 4, 2019 (Photo by AM800's Peter Langille)
Ontario Nurses Association Health and Safety Specialist, Erna Bujna is impressed with the program developed at HDGH.
"They've been doing this for over ten years and they just keep building and building and getting better at it," says Bujna. "And so many of our employers I don't know, they're so good at patient care but they're not so good at protecting workers. And how can you protect patients if the workers aren't safe?"
Kaffer says they expect the number of reported incidents will increase because of the campaign, but that the number of injuries will decrease.