British Columbia’s Interior Health Authority has been fined nearly $275,000 after 10 workers were exposed to illicit substances at a Penticton hospital.

WorkSafe BC posted the penalty notice online, stating that a fine of $274,073.89 was imposed on August 1, providing some details about the incident.

“A foul odor was detected coming from a patient room and a request for service was submitted,” the notice said, adding that two workers became ill and eight others were exposed.

There is no mention of the exact nature of the substance, but the notice says the health authority is being fined – in part – because “the employer’s safe work procedure for responding to substances illegal activities was not properly communicated to workers, and they were not trained on the procedure to follow.

Additionally, WorkSafe found that procedures to prevent or minimize employee exposure were not being implemented.

“This is a repeated violation,” the notice concludes.

The issue of drug use in hospitals and the possibility that health care workers could be at risk sparked several days of heated debate in Parliament last spring.

LINK:

One proposed solution was to ensure that all hospitals have safe consumption sites for patients who use drugs.

LINK: