BURNABY – The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union reports that four staff members at Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam have been injured in another violent attack by a patient this week and the union is demanding that WorkSafeBC investigate security measures at the facility.

BCGEU members report that two health care workers (HCW) and two nurses were attacked by a patient on September 11, with one HCW being taken to hospital with severe injuries.

"It's outrageous that our members and other workers are being assaulted on a weekly basis at the Forensic hospital and the employer is doing nothing about it," says BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "This is the textbook definition of an unsafe workplace.

"The bottom line is that every working person in this province deserves a safe workplace and every employer owes their employees a safe workplace," says Smith. "The BCGEU is demanding that WorkSafeBC step in and investigate worker safety in the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and order the employer to do the right thing.

"WorksafeBC has issued 57 safety orders at Forensics in the past 5 years, along with 102 inspection reports documenting the employer's failure to protect its workers," says Smith. "The employer obviously is not listening, and we believe it's time for the B.C. Government to take over management of this facility."

UWU/MoveUP