January 13, 2009

The British corporation contracted by the Vancouver Island Health Authority to clean a number of its major hospitals and extended care facilities was issued 16 separate orders over six months in 2008 by the Workers’ Compensation Board of BC for contravening health and safety laws.

Acting on complaints made, WCB investigators found that Compass Group had contravened health and safety regulations at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan.

In 2004, VIHA signed a five-year, $100 million contract with Compass to provide cleaning and food services at a number of its hospitals and extended care facilities.

Investigators cited Compass for its failure to provide adequate health and safety training to workers; train workers in the safe use of toxic cleaning agents or in dealing with spills of hazardous substances; keep records of health and safety incident investigations, and have an exposure plan for workers who are exposed to materials contaminated with blood.

The health authority needs to take active responsibilty for the health and safety record of Compass Group.

The WCB orders were issued between May and October 2008.  The findings included:

• Failure to provide written procedures on the use, storage and disposal of highly toxic cleaning agents used to control antibiotic resistent organisms like C. Difficile (NRGH);
• Inadequate labelling of controlled products and outdated or missing material safety data sheets (NRGH);
• No formal process to act on hazard reports (NRGH);
• No records of incident investigations (NRGH);
• No lockout procedures for a garbage compactor (NRGH);
• Failure to maintain an occupational health and safety program (NRGH);
• Inadequate training of workers in safe work practices (NRGH);
• Failure to develop an adequate exposure control plan for workers who are exposed to materials contaminated with blood (CDH);
• Failure to assess risks of Musculoskeletal (MSI) for workers from handling garbage, bio-hazardous materials, bio-garbage and laundry (CDH);
• Inadequate training of workers in dealing with spills of hazardous materials (CDH);
• Failure to provide investigation reports into causes of accidents causing injuries to workers that resulted in medical treatment (CDH), and
• Failure to set up a joint health and safety committee (CDH).