Internal Health fined nearly $275K after staff exposed to illegal substance

B.C.’s Interior Health Authority has been fined nearly $275,000 after 10 workers at a hospital in Penticton were exposed to illegal substances.

WorkSafe BC posted the penalty notice online, stating that a fine of $274,073.89 was imposed on August 1, and provided some details about the incident.

The notification stated, “A harmful odor coming from the patient room was detected and a service request was sent,” stating that two workers became ill and eight other workers were exposed to the odor.

There’s no word on what exactly the substance was, but the notice says the health authority was fined in part because “the employer’s safe work procedure for handling illegal substances was not adequately communicated to workers and workers were not adequately informed.” “We received training on the process to be followed.”

Additionally, WorkSafe found that procedures to prevent or minimize employee exposure were not implemented.

“This was a repeat violation,” the notice concludes.

The issue of drug use in hospitals and the possibility that healthcare workers were at risk sparked several days of heated debate in parliament last spring.

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One proposed solution was to ensure that all hospitals had safe consumption areas for patients who use drugs.

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