Ontario Nurses’ Association Says Nurses Still at Risk: CAMH Pleads Guilty in Workplace Violence Cases

Press Release from Ontario Nurses’ Association

The Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) pleaded guilty today in a Toronto courtroom to two charges filed against it under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. CAMH was fined $35,000 for each charge, for a total of $70,000.

Despite the admission of guilt, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) notes that this employer continues to fail to provide a safe workplace.

“Despite the seriousness of charges against CAMH, little or nothing has changed to improve safety for nurses,” says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. “CAMH continues to leave worker safety off its list of priorities, and nurses continue to suffer the consequences.”

Today’s plea is related to Ministry of Labour charges from November 2008; the Ministry charged CAMH with failing to comply with earlier orders to develop and implement workplace violence policies and procedures. CAMH was also charged, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, with failing to assess a safety hazard and not maintaining equipment.

In both 2007 and 2008, ONA called media attention to the rising number of serious, violent workplace attacks at CAMH. Several registered nurses were critically injured in workplace attacks on November 12 and November 14, 2007 at the Queen Street site, and one of the nurses remains unable to work to this day. ONA noted that there were 23 incidents of violence at CAMH in a one-month period in September 2008. In 2009, a nurse was injured in yet another serious incident and the CAMH has yet to address the safety procedures that failed in an attempt to prevent another similar incident.

“The problem at CAMH seems to be inadequate implementation of controls identified through hazard/risk assessments, testing of safety equipment and procedures, a lack of training and enforcement of policies and procedures generally, and an uncaring attitude about the safety of its nurses,” alleges Haslam-Stroud. “I wonder what it will take to persuade management to make workplace safety a priority.”

By pleading guilty to the charges stemming from the 2007 incident, CAMH has avoided a trial. Ministry of Labour inspectors continue to investigate further incidents at the facility.