Health care workers are facing increased abuse in the hospital setting, making a recent move by the IWK Health Centre to buy bulletproof vests very welcome, says the head of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union. “I think safety in our hospitals is becoming more and more of an issue, for sure,” union president Janet Hazelton said.
According to The Canadian Press, the region’s largest women’s and children’s hospital wants to buy 35 bulletproof and slash-proof vests for its security officers, and recently posted a tender on the province’s website seeking a supplier.
“There’s a lot of drug dependency out there now . . . a lot of ill patients. People get frustrated,” said Hazelton. Her union represents all the IWK’s nurses. “If that’s what the employer believes is necessary to ensure the health and safety (of our workers), I applaud them for it.” A person was shot outside the hospital last November and the facility was locked down for several hours.
The bidding on the equipment, which is comprised of exterior vests and internal protective material, closes on December 3, 2009. It’s expected IWK security guards will be wearing them early in the new year. (workersxzcompxzkit)
Other hospitals in Halifax and surrounding areas have no plans to order bulletproof vests for their security guards, according to John Gillis, spokesman for the Capital District Health Authority.
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