TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) is moving ahead with a new report’s recommendations on preventing workplace violence in the healthcare industry, according to a May 15 news release. The report, Preventing Workplace Violence in the Health Care Sector, was a collaborative project by the MOL and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; it offered 23 recommendations on how to make the province’s hospitals safer for employees, reduce violence and reform attitudes about safety in healthcare. Among the actions the Ministry plans to take are the following: increasing supports for patients with a history of violence; initiating an awareness campaign; improving reporting systems for violent incidents; and posting information about fines for healthcare employers. “Progress on workplace violence in healthcare cannot wait – it is an urgent and serious issue,” Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said in a media statement. “By putting forward these recommendations, Ontario is moving towards delivering real, positive change for our healthcare workers.” Eleven per cent of lost-time injury claims from Ontario hospitals result from violence, according to information from the MOL.