KHSC is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for everyone who works, learns or volunteers here. By integrating health and safety into our daily work, applying a continuous improvement philosophy, and embedding the prevention mindset into everything we do, our aim is to build a strong safety culture and eliminate all preventable harm to staff.
But it’s not just about physical safety. We know that psychological health and safety at work plays an important role in enabling our staff to deliver the best care possible to our patients and their families. For this reason, KHSC has embraced the Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace CSA Standard and is working hard to apply the framework to create a work environment that is supportive of mental well-being at work.
As a way to improve safety, specific safety-related processes, tools, and training are in place at KHSC, some of which include:
- An online Safe Reporting Tool for staff to submit safety incidents, injuries, or hazards
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Investigation of all reported hazards/incidents/injuries with the implementation of actions to enhance safety and prevent recurrence
- Completion of Risk Assessments
- Monthly and quarterly workplace and safety inspections
- An Occupational Health & Safety Scorecard with specific performance measures and goals related to staff safety integrated into the strategy and annual corporate plan
- A full suite of eLearning courses including for example:
- Worker health and safety awareness training
- Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) Prevention
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Needle Safety Practices
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Safety Patient Handling
- Workplace Violence & Harassment Prevention
- Supervisor Health & Safety Awareness training
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Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training for staff working in units at increased risk of violence
- Debrief sessions are held for all Code White Events and a flagging system for patients at increased risk of aggressive or violent behaviour
- An annual review of our Health and Safety Management System with development of a Continuous Improvement Action Plan
