Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine
Manitoba is reviewing security programs, services and systems of key health care facilities in the province to ensure that they are safe for patients, visitors and staff. This was announced by Cameron Friesen, the Health, Safety, Seniors and Active Living Minister on March 11, 2019.
There are currently no provincial standards to guide requirements in healthcare facilities, resulting in varying levels of security presence and staff training from facility to facility.
As such, the review will report on the inconsistent levels of staffing and training standards in place at these facilities and create a plan to ensure the continued safety of both employees and visitors.
Review, which will evaluate and benchmark facilities to similar sites across the country, will include interviews with security staff at each site and assess policies and data in various areas, including current security programs and processes, staff duties, contingency and response plans and security orientation and training plans. Reviewers will also look at physical security systems.
Facilities outside of Winnipeg that may be part of the review include Brandon, Dauphin, Swan River, Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas, Selkirk, Pine Falls, Boundary Trails Health Centre, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Eden Mental Health Centre in Winkler.
My opinion
That there are no current provincial standards in the province of Manitoba to deal with healthcare facilities. This is totally unacceptable! Many of the baby boomers are coming-of-age and will be finding themselves in these healthcare facilities and there better be standards to ensure safety for workers, visitors and patients.
I guess someone finally realize that there was a gap in healthcare and needed to be filled.
What were they thinking?
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Canada, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.