Case Study: OHS Issues at Toronto Hospital

Adapted from Management of Occupational Health and Safety, Eighth Edition, Kelloway Francis and Gatien, Top Hat Publishing

Toronto Hospital is a 100-bed facility located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hospital is provincially regulated.

Recently, there have been an increase in Emergency Room visits by people with suspected measles cases. Just last week there were two confirmed cases of measles diagnosed in the hospital. There is considerable disquiet among the staff.

Two nurses have refused to work their assigned shifts on the ward where the confirmed measles patients are housed, claiming that it is their right to refuse unsafe work. Moreover, custodial workers have been cancelling their shifts on the affected wards and in the Emergency Room for fear of exposure which has led to poor housekeeping and a pile up of garbage in the workplace.

To add to matters, the other day a custodial worker was trying to work as quickly as possible to reduce exposure. They were running across a wet floor when they slipped and fell to the ground, breaking their arm. Their doctor indicates they won't be able to work for at least 2 months.

Tension is very high and employee morale is very low. Most hospital employees are extremely stressed and some are even on stress leave. Employees are noticeably disrespectful to each other. Rude and harassing remarks have been heard among employees across all departments. Derogatory comments about religion, gender, sexual orientation, and so much more are quite common both in person and online. In the Emergency Room last night, a doctor was told that she might be up for a promotion if she agreed to date the Chief of Staff. Another doctor was shoved into a wall and punched by a nurse who later apologized, claiming the stress of the workplace got the best of them.

The hospital needs human resources expertise. They want to address the current issues and prevent them from occurring again. Assume you've been hired as a team of Human Resources Professionals. Answer the following questions:

1. Identify and explain 'Harassment about religion, gender, sexual orientation' as an OHS issue that must be addressed in relation to the case.

2. Based on your research, what are your recommendations to the hospital to address and manage 'Harassment about religion, gender, sexual orientation' as an OHS issue? Ensure your recommendations are grounded in relevant legislation and applicable occupational safety and health Seneca college course material. Use mla citation format to answer the question. Include references mla referencing format