Critical incidents
Procedure summary
Published On
Purpose | To protect the safety of all parties, ensure appropriate access to support and guidance on the escalation process. |
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Description | This procedure applies when responding to an incident that involves a physical altercation with a worker, threats by a clientClient refers to the injured worker, employer, or their representative to people or property (made in person, via letter or electronically) or threats of suicide. The decision maker assesses and responds to the situation, engages appropriate resources and supports, reports the situation and records associated information, notifies affected parties and develops a plan in case of future incidents. |
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Key information | The vast majority of interactions between clients and WCB employees are conducted in a business professional manner. Open and respectful communication is key to achieving safe and successful outcomes. WCB employees strive to listen to client concerns and work to proactively resolve them. Occasionally, despite best efforts, there are instances where professionalism is absent resulting in behaviours such as threats or abusive actions. When this happens WCB employees need to respond in a manner that deescalates the situation and protects the individuals involved. Threats may be directed toward WCB staff, an employer, other third party or the worker themselves. Threats may be made during an in-person meeting, phone call, sent through email or a letter. Regardless of the form or target, when a threat is made, WCB staff should always try to remain calm and act to ensure that everyone involved is kept as safe as possible. When it is safe to do so, staff should:
Risk Estimation:The WCB staff member will use the following matrix to estimate the risk that a worker will harm themselves or others. It is essential to ask the worker questions to help assess the level of risk including their current thoughts, intent, whether they have a plan and timeline. They should avoid generalizations or debate and ask direct questions such as:
*Still considered high risk even if they have no plan but are highly escalated.
When to call 911:If a situation requires prompt action, the WCB staff member will immediately call 911 to request interventions. Situations that require immediate intervention include:
Mental Health Support (MHS) Line:The MHS Line at 1-855-675-9222 can provide immediate counselling to workers and to the family members of workers who are struggling with the emotional impact of a worker's injury. The worker can call the MHS Line on their own, or the WCB staff member may transfer the worker to the line. The worker's claim number must be provided to access the service. The decision maker may send the worker a letter or email to ensure they have the phone number for future reference. Note: The MHS Line is not intended to replace counselling that the worker may be receiving from a community provider. |