Category: Community News
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More health workers in Saskatchewan are being compensated for violent on-the-job injuries than police or corrections officers, according to newly released statistics from the province’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).
According to the board’s statistics on accepted claims, the top three groups of occupations that were prone to violent injuries between 2012 and 2016 were:
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates.
- Community and social service workers.
- Registered nurses.
LABOUR/ADVANCED EDUCATION–Amendments Make It Easier for Emergency Response Workers to Access PTSD Benefits
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Government is making it easier for emergency response workers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access benefits.
Amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act introduced today, April 28, will ensure covered emergency response workers no longer have to prove their PTSD diagnosis was caused by a workplace incident. They will also further clarify the claim process and who can get benefits.
“We’re grateful for the valuable and sometimes heartbreaking work our emergency response workers do every day,” said Labour and Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan. “We want to make it easier for those who suffer from PTSD to access benefits and treatment. These changes are a step in the right direction.”
While stress due to traumatic events has always been covered under the Workers’ Compensation Act, it currently requires covered workers to prove their diagnosis is a direct result of a workplace incident. Some PTSD sufferers avoid getting help because of this process.
The proposed amendments will:
— clarify that PTSD is presumed to be a result of an accident during employment
— define who is eligible for presumptive PTSD benefits. This will include police, paid and volunteer firefighters, paramedics, nurses, and provincial and federal correctional officers with workers’ compensation coverage
— allow coverage for other health service occupations to be added by regulation
— further clarify the process to receive presumptive PTSD coverage. Diagnosis will be required from a registered psychologist or psychiatrist.
Government intends to consult key stakeholders following introduction of the bill.
The province is committed to addressing workplace mental health, and co-hosted a mental health and PTSD conference last fall. One of the themes that arose included the need for presumptive PTSD benefits for emergency response workers.
The amendments will take effect upon proclamation.
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FOR BROADCAST USE:
Legislation introduced today (April 28th) will make it
easier for emergency response workers diagnosed with post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access benefits.
Amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act will ensure
covered emergency response workers no longer have to prove their
PTSD diagnosis was caused by a workplace incident. They will
also further clarify the claim process and who can access
benefits.
Labour and Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan says
the amendments will make it easier for those who suffer from
PTSD to access benefits and treatment.
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Media Contact: Lisa Jarrett
Cell: 902-717-4199
Email: [email protected]
The EMPOWER Partnership is a team of researchers, health experts, stakeholders across the world that recognize the importance of worker health and well-being. EMPOWER engages in research initiatives to assess the health of workers, and to assess evidence-based programs to foster both employee and organizational functioning and well-being by supporting the individual, strengthening groups, developing leaders and creating healthy organizations.
There are currently five EMPOWER programs; ACTion, WORC, LEAD, Leading Healthy Workplaces and SPHERE. Please review these programs and think about participating in this exciting and informative research. For more information on these programs and how you can get involved as an individual or organization, please contact:
Audrey Kruisselbrink, Research Coordinator [email protected]
Please note this is not an AWARE-NS project. All related enquiries are to be made to Audrey.
EMPOWER-Initiative Overview-Mar-2017
The number of potential health and safety risks in any health-care organization is astounding. Not only do you need to worry about slips and trips, musculoskeletal disorders and chemical handling, but biological agents can be found around every corner. And of course there is always the pressure of keeping patients safe, too.
If your health-care organization truly knows only healthy and safe workers can ensure their patients are healthy and safe, we want to hear from you for the Canada’s Safest Employers’ Health Care Safety award.
Click here to nominate your company for the Health Care award as part of Canada’s Safest Employers awards.
For more information about Canada’s Safest Employers,
visit www.safestemployers.com.
Nominations Close June 1.
It’s time for patients and providers to come together for clean hands – STOP! Clean Your Hands Day returns Friday, May 5, 2017.
The theme for STOP! Clean Your Hands Day is: Ask Yourself…
Making a change to your behaviour can be as simple as asking yourself a question and understanding that change doesn’t need to be a burden. Small, incremental changes can lead to big things…Read More
