[Enter Date}

Mr. XXX, President & CEO

[Address of employer]

Dear Mr.or Ms. [enter CEO or Health administrator’s name],

Re: Violence/Hazardous Working Conditions / xxx Unit

There is abundant evidence that ONA members are facing serious, unabated exposure to workplace violence in xxx Unit. (Insert description of an incident and cite statistics to support claim, e.g. number of incident reports).

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the employer and your supervisors are responsible to ensure all reasonable precautions are taken for the protection of workers. We believe the evidence establishes that your supervisors are not trained to be “competent” under the legislation and the employer and supervisors are not complying with these duties. Supervisor awareness training is not sufficient to make your supervisors “competent” as defined under the OHSA.

Of importance andlisted below are issues/hazards that our members have reported to supervisors, and our Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) has raised with you, but remain unresolved. ONA is asking for your immediate, personal attention to these serious unresolved concerns.

Unsafe StaffingLevel – Need Additional Staffing

(Insert specific evidence, e.g.:

  • When caring for a volatile patient requiring one-on-one care, staff area assigned two additional patients.
  • When the census drops, staff is immediately reduced with no regard to the acuity of remaining patients
  • Insert workload complaint stats.)

In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

(Insert specific request, e.g.:

  • Assign xx additional registered nurse(s) when xxx)

Physical Layout Unsafe, Requires Alteration

(Insert specific issue, e.g.:

  • Forensic patients assessed in room not visible at nurses’ station.)

In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

(Insertspecific solution, e.g.:

  • In consultation with the JHSC, conduct a risk assessment and…)

Training Insufficient to Ensure Safety

(Insert specific issue, e.g.:

  • Staff is not trained to handle increasing anxiety of patients awaiting care)

In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

(Insertspecific request, e.g.:

  • By xxx 2015, in consultation with the JHSC, develop and deliver adequate training to xxx unit staff to equip them to safely de-escalate…
  • By xxx 2015, in consultation with the JHSC, develop and deliver adequate training to security staff to enable them to safely...)

Risk Reassessment of xx Unit

The risks of workplace violence are not being reassessed as required under the OHSA and this is putting our members and other workers at risk. In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

(Insertspecific request, e.g.:

  • No later than xxx, 2015, in consultation with the JHSC, complete a comprehensive risk assessment …)

Communication and Summoning Immediate Assistance

Staff report they have panic alarms that they clip to their pocket, but often the alarms are broken.It is unclear who is responsible for maintenance. These devices do not ring directly to security office. In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

[Insertspecific request, e.g.:

  • No later than xxx, 2015, ensure all panic alarms work and ring directly to the security office.
  • In the meantime, in consultation with the JHSC, develop and implement interim measures to protect workers from exposure to risk of violence...]

System for Identifying a Person with a History of Violent Behaviour (Flagging System/Procedure)

The OHSA requires the employer to advise any worker at risk about a person with a history of violent behaviour and to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker among other obligations under the OHSA.

Other facilities have met this obligation by instituting an electronic and visual flagging system. This system creates an alert visually and electronically for patients with a history of violent behaviour,and allows and requires staff and the employer to document any patient triggers. The employer, supervisor and staff can put in place appropriate controls for staff and a care plan that can best eliminate/minimize the triggers, so workers and patient are better protected.

Unit xxx does not have a system for identifying and communicating a patient with a violent history. In order to remove or at least control this hazard we ask that you:

(Insert specific request, e.g.:

  • No later than xxx, 2015, in consultation with the JHSC, investigate and implement a system…
  • In the meantime, in consultation with the JHSC develop and implement interim measures to protect workers from exposure to risk of violence…)

Patient Not Safe for Unit

There needs to a clear diagnosis for this patient. If he is considered to be a forensic patient, the patient should be in the appropriate specialized facility. In order to protect the immediate safety of workers, we are asking if you will transfer Patient X to:

  • An appropriate facility to care of his ongoing mental health needs.

ONA cannot tolerate continued exposure of our members to the serious hazard of violence on xxx unit. We ask for your immediate personal attention to our unresolved concerns and look forward to you quickly taking every reasonable precaution to protect our members from harm.

Because of the urgency of these hazards, please respond by tomorrow with your proposed steps to immediately protect workers. I look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,

C:JHSC Members

XXX Bargaining Unit President, ONA

XXX, Labour Relations Officer

XXX employer, OHS Director