Latest news with #unsafeconditions
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Nurses vote to ‘grey list' Health Sciences Centre over safety concerns
The Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg is pictured on January 7, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) has voted in favour of 'grey listing' Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre over 'increasingly unsafe working conditions,' according to a news release. Voting began Wednesday and resulted in 94 per cent of members voting in favour of grey listing the downtown facility. The union has grey listed five facilities in the past 45 years, with the last one being the Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007. MNU president Darlene Jackson previously told CTV News that if the vote passes, the union will be alerting members who may want to work at HSC to 'relook at that decision' based on a lack of safety measures. 'What (grey listing) really does is it advises members that are already there, nurses who may be thinking of applying for a job at Health Sciences Centre, as well as letting the public know that this is not a facility that the employer provides a safe environment in,' said Jackson. 'As Manitoba's flagship hospital, HSC has a duty to lead by example in protecting its staff and creating a culture that values the well-being of healthcare professionals,' said the MNU news release. 'However, despite numerous calls for action, the necessary improvements have not been made, prompting this latest step in holding the employer accountable.' Jackson previously said escalating incidents over the years at HSC have raised concerns, including a string of sexual assaults outside the facility last month. She said conversations about grey listing the workplace began in 2020. 'Work is ongoing and evolving': Shared Health In a statement, Shared Health interim president and CEO Dr. Chris Christodoulou said the provincial health authority takes this vote seriously and understands that nurses are looking for change. Christodoulou said Shared Health has met with representatives from unions, government, police and the University of Manitoba to discuss the ongoing security issues at the facility. 'We know this work is ongoing and evolving,' said Christodoulou. 'There is more to do, and we are fully committed to listening, learning, and continuing to take meaningful steps to support a safer environment for everyone, including addressing the recommendations by the MNU.' The statement lists security measures that have been taken over the past several years, including increased parkade security, more institutional safety officers, new cameras and artificial intelligence weapon scanners. MNU represents more than 13,000 nurses across the province, with approximately 3,000 nurses at HSC. -With files from The Canadian Press
CBS News
24-07-2025
- CBS News
Family of Ronald Silver II sues Baltimore over DPW worker's heat-related death
The family of Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore Department of Public Works employee who died while working in extreme heat last year, is suing the City of Baltimore, attorney Thiru Vignarajah announced Thursday. Travis Christian, a co-worker who was with Silver on the day of his death, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses the city of violating civil rights laws and forcing employees to work in unsafe conditions. In a notice of litigation, Vignarajah said DPW employees were afraid to report poor working conditions due to fear of being fired, especially those working as a condition of probation. He also said the department failed to inform workers about the risks of heat exposure or how to respond to symptoms of illness. "For years, DPW has operated a system of labor that demands that its workers, many of whom have prior criminal convictions, perform grueling manual labor in dangerous, subhuman conditions for laughable wages," Vignarajah said in a statement Thursday. "The agency has perpetuated a system where workers cannot ask for assistance, complain about their plight, or even quit—because if they do, they face retaliation, termination, and jail time." Silver, 35, died of hyperthermia on Aug. 2, 2024, while on his trash route, according to a report by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health agency (MOSH) released in April. In March 2025, the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a detailed report outlining the events of that day, including accounts from witnesses and video evidence. Christian told investigators that the truck's air conditioning system was not functioning. He said Silver began feeling unwell several hours into his shift, but declined to rest, fearing the truck driver might report him to management. Silver collapsed twice that day. The first time, Christian said he found him lying face down, with scrapes on his hands and elbows and going in and out of consciousness. Christian described Silver's body as "limp and lifeless" as he lifted him into the truck. Later, Silver collapsed again while approaching a home to seek help. A witness attempted to assist and called 911. Silver was transported to the hospital, where he died. The OIG report said DPW workers feared retaliation for stopping work due to illness and described a culture that discouraged breaks even in dangerous heat. It also noted a longstanding pattern of excessive route demands, poor vehicle conditions, and lack of rest periods. MOSH cited the department for a "serious" safety violation, stating DPW failed to provide a safe working environment free from known hazards, including extreme heat. The agency also found that DPW lacked any heat safety training before Silver's death. It cited 14 heat-related injuries between 2021 and 2024, although the OIG identified 29 such cases. In response, DPW said it began implementing a Heat Illness Prevention Plan and requested additional time to comply. Silver's family has repeatedly said his death was preventable. They claim DPW ignored years of internal reports warning of unsafe conditions. "Mr. Silver's death was absolutely preventable and was the direct, predictable result of a city agency that treats its workers like indentured laborers," Vignarajah said in a March statement. "DPW's practices were designed to lock in a culture of silence and subjugation, and Ronald Silver II paid the ultimate price." Silver's family spoke to WJZ in November 2024, as they were grieving his loss. "I just love my son, and I miss him. I just want the world to know that my son did mean something. He wasn't just a trash man," Silver's father said in part.
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Avoid 402 west in Lambton County, ‘unsafe road surface conditions' causes closure
OPP have advised that a section of Highway 402 in Lambton County is closed due to 'unsafe road surface conditions.' No other details have been provided as to what the conditions are or what may have caused the conditions. The westbound lanes are closed between Oil Heritage Road and Mandaumin Road in Plympton-Wyoming. Drivers are asked to avoid the area, and police added that people can expect a lengthy closure.
