LONDON, ON – St. Joseph’s Health Care London has been fined $50,000 after a nurse was injured while providing medication to a patient in a hospital room.

On May 5, 2013, the nurse was administering medication to the patient at the Parkwood Hospital site at 801 Commissioners Road East in London. Leaving the bedside, the nurse lost balance and fell; a foot had become entangled in a cable attached to the bed check equipment in place on the patient’s bed. The nurse’s injuries included a fracture in one arm.

Dangling cords were a known hazard in the workplace and had been documented in the inspection records of the workplace joint health and safety committee. In this incident, the cord in question had not been secured by any means, although hooks, clips or Velcro had been previously identified as methods of securing cords.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the hospital failed to provide adequate information, instruction and supervision with respect to avoiding trip hazards associated with the cords that are part of the bed check equipment, contrary to Section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. St. Joseph’s Health Care London pleaded guilty to failing to protect the health or safety of the worker, and was fined $50,000.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael A. Cuthbertson. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.