This report follows Carly, a patient care assistant in a high-security mental health unit in Penetanguishene, Ontario, after a routine interaction with a patient escalates into a violent, life-changing assault. The responses of her coworkers and employer both during and after her assault reveal critical gaps in staff training, safety protocols, and institutional accountability.
In addition to the physical harm she experienced, Carly now grapples with the long-term psychological impacts of her assault. She says that she will never feel comfortable at her workplace again.
Carly’s physical and psychological injuries reflect broader concerns about inadequate occupational health and safety standards (particularly in high-risk environments) and the urgent need for consistent training, stronger preventive measures, and recognition of both physical and mental harm in workplace safety legislation. Sania Wadalia, Health and Safety Officer with OPSEU/SEFPO’s Worker Safety Unit, says the problem is bigger than a single incident or a single employer—and that workers pay the price when “training” becomes inconsistent, interpretive, or treated as optional until something goes wrong.
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