4 · Working Together to Create Safe Workplaces
Managing the Complexities of a Safe and Healthy Workplace at Lakeridge Health
Vanessa Aguiar, BSc. (Hons. Kin), MHSc. (OEH), CRSP, Director, Occupational Health, Safety & Healthy Workplace, Lakeridge Health Vanessa Aguiar is the Director of Occupational Health, Safety & Healthy Workplace at Lakeridge Health. Lakeridge Health is one of Ontario’s largest community hospitals, serving people across Durham Region and beyond. Its mission is to deliver high-quality healthcare—“because the people coming through our doors are our neighbours, family and friends.” Resource Magazine spoke with her about awareness and prevention of workplace harassment, and how Lakeridge Health ensures a safe and healthy workplace. RM: How does Lakeridge Health raise awareness among employees about issues of harassment and violence including sexual harassment? VA: Lakeridge does a number of things, first starting from new hire orientation. It is a strategic priority, so communication from day one is very important so that employees feel that safety is a part of their everyday job. We want employees to feel empowered to make decisions about what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour starting from orientation. We also have two committees who bring awareness and action to ongoing issues. One committee is involved in the messaging and communication in visible places, like the hallways and elevators, about our policies and procedures. Our committee came up with the communication that is in place currently and worked with HR collaboratively: the flyers in the hallways and elevators are all messages (with pictures) from members of the committee.
The result of this program has been much more reporting and metrics around how our programs are being managed. This campaign was launched last fall, and we are building on this success. The second committee has strategic responsibilities regarding health and safety. Additionally, we have other ways to sustain awareness of our policies and procedures regarding issues of harassment and violence. For example, we have a booth where employees can submit their concerns, mandatory in-person training, an annual Passport to Safety training, and established Joint Health and Safety Committees. RM: Do you have a program that provides support to help victims feel safe and secure in the workplace? VA: Typically, a manager is the first person to respond to an incident. Firstly, the manager needs to address how the victim feels. Depending on the situation, they would then take appropriate action, which may involve moving a patient or nurse, or placing an employee on leave. The follow-up usually includes a recommendation that the alleged victim talks to our Employee Assistance Program as well. During the investigation, we recognize the validity of both parties but always err on the side of the victim. If the result of the investigation finds an infraction against policy, we would follow with disciplinary procedures. RM: Do you take any additional steps to prevent or minimize bullying and harassment, outside of existing policies and procedures? VA: We try to identify specific issues and continually assess if new programs need to be created to prevent or minimize bullying and harassment. For example, there is a new program being implemented by another healthcare institute that is geared to mental health, and we modified it so it could fit
