Ontario Taking Action to Better Protect Health Care Workers

Province Creating Leadership Table on Workplace Violence Prevention

• Since 2003, workplace injuries in Ontario have decreased by 40 per cent.
• The health care sector represents 10% of Ontario’s labour market.
• Workplace violence in the health care sector costs the health care system about $23.8 million annually for hospitals alone.
• Violence claims make up 10% of the lost-time injuries in hospitals.

Ontario is establishing a Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care Leadership Table to better protect health care professionals on the job.

Due to the nature of their work, health care workers face a number of workplace hazards including exposure to infectious diseases, ergonomic hazards, slips, trips and falls, as well as violence.

The members of the Leadership Table will bring together key stakeholders and experts, including patient advocates, to provide advice on how to reduce and prevent workplace violence for health care professionals. To start, the Leadership Table will focus on how to prevent violence against nurses in hospitals, followed by preventing violence against all hospital workers and preventing violence in the broader health care sector.

Based on the advice of the Leadership Table, Ontario will develop an implementation plan to: make hospitals safer, reduce incidents of workplace violence in hospitals and the broader health care sector, change attitudes toward workplace violence and improve workplace safety culture regarding violence.

Protecting the health and safety of health care professionals is part of the government’s four-part plan to build Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.