August 7, 2025
RED FM News Desk
It’s been almost two years since the province created a new class of hospital security guard, relational security officers or RSOs, in response to high-profile assaults on nurses and healthcare staff.
Different from a typical security guard, the province says the new position focuses on trauma-informed training, de-escalation, and prevention.
But new data obtained by CBC News shows the employees meant to keep hospitals safe are themselves being injured at an alarming rate.
WorkSafeBC data for accepted short- and long-term disability claims by hospital security guards show nearly 170 accepted injury claims last year.
At that rate, it means security guards meant to protect healthcare staff and patients from violence are being injured nearly every other day.
The highest number of accepted injury claims were in Fraser and Providence Health: 50 accepted claims in Fraser Health and 46 in Providence Health.
Security guards in Interior Health were off work due to injury 27 times, while in Vancouver Coastal Health there were 22 instances. Island Health had 20 accepted injury claims.
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