tion, my office has received public complaints that are significant enough, in my opinion, to warrant a systemic review.” The OIPRD says it has also established the terms of reference for its review, which will look at the following, among other things: • The Ontario Police College training in use of force, equipment and the application of the principles of the province’s use-of-force guidelines; • Police service training in handling people with mental health issues, emotionally disturbed people and people in crisis and de-escalation techniques; • The police use-of-force model; • The supervision and accountability for officer training and deployment and for officers dealing with those with mental health issues; and • The TPS board’s oversight and direction regarding use of force. Irwin Nanda, executive vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour in Toronto, says it is calling on the Attorney General of Ontario to impose uniform guidelines across the province that require any police response to focus on de-
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escalating and diffusing confrontations. The OIPRD will accept submissions from stakeholders until April 4. A source from the OIPRD says the agency plans to complete the review within nine months.
CHARGES LAID OVER ASSAULT OTTAWA — For the first time, charges have been laid against a healthcare employer for contravening the violence prevention sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Bruce Skeaff, spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Labour in Toronto, confirms that three charges were laid against employer Royal Ottawa Health Care Group for failing to develop and maintain measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace violence occurred at the Royal Ottawa Place, failing to provide information and instruction to protect a worker from violence and failing to implement safety devices, measures and procedures to protect workers from violence. The charges stem from an incident in
July of 2012, when a patient attacked and injured several registered nursing staff members at a nursing station. A statement from the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) in Toronto, issued on January 30, says Bill 168, which sets out the roles and responsibilities for workplace parties with respect to occupational violence and harassment, including the development of policies and programs, is “finally bearing fruit” as the Royal Ottawa Hospital heads to trial this November. The statement adds that the organization called on the provincial labour ministry last year to compel Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario to take steps to protect nurses from workplace violence. “We were disappointed a similar outcome did not materialize, but since that event, the employer and ONA have made significant strides working together to develop a proper response to workplace violence,” says ONA president Linda Haslam-Stroud. Andy Summers, a registered nurse and vice-president of Region 3 of the ONA, notes that the employer and
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