May Day Rally at Queens Park for Safety Engineered Needle legislation
1 May 07 -- Carrying six-foot tall models of blood-tipped unsafe needles, members of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) Region 3 will join other health-care providers at Queen’s Park on May Day (May 1) to rally in support of legislation making the use of safety-engineered devices mandatory.Photos of safety-engineered sharps are available here.
Ontario law does not make the provision of safety-engineered needles mandatory for health-care workers, leading to thousands of needless needlestick injuries a year. NDP MPP Shelley Martel’s proposed Bill 30, making their provision mandatory, has been languishing at a Legislative Standing Committee for months.
ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN and Vice-President Andy Summers, RN, will join Martel, ONA members, SEIU Local1.on Secretary Treasurer Cathy Carroll, OPSEU First Vice-President Patty Rout, and their members in protesting this lack of safe equipment. Terry Downey of the Ontario Federation of Labour and John Cartwright from the Labour Council will also participate.
ONA notes that the eloquent final SARS Report, written by the late Justice Archie Campbell, recommended a renewed emphasis on workplace health and safety, including the use of the precautionary principle – or erring on the side of caution in protecting health care workers. Providing safe equipment to workers is vital, he said.
ONA invites you to join the rally and show your support.