Standing up for workers who suffer psychological injuries

Winnipeg fire Capt. Scott Atchison, who received only minor physical injuries after fighting a house fire that claimed the lives of two colleagues, knows first-hand the need to treat psychological workplace injuries.

He responded to the infamous St. Boniface house fire in which captains Harold Lessard, 55, and Thomas Nichols, 57 were killed on Feb. 4, 2007.

On Thursday, Atchison was at the Manitoba legislature with other first responders to applaud proposed legislation that aims to protect and promote workers’ mental health.

The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act (Bill 29) that passed second reading Thursday would ensure that “active measures are undertaken to prevent harm, whether negligent, reckless or intentional, to the psychological well-being of workers.”

Atchison was 33 when he escaped the blaze that shook the city and his profession.

“After that event happened, it kind of laid bare the need for the psychological supports,” he said in an interview. It was a “winding road” to get help, with wait times of a year back then, at a time when systems were not as strained as they are today, he said.

“It was recognized, because of the intensity of the event, that we were going to require care,” Atchison said about himself and his colleagues.

They made contact with psychological professionals who worked with first responders after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and the 9-11 terror attacks in the U.S. Atchison said he and his Winnipeg colleagues were exposed to that care and saw the need for it across the department.

“We’re seeing a major increase in psychological injuries, either through acute incidents or cumulative incidents, and now we’re getting better access and quicker access to the psychological care we need,” Atchison said.

While such services have become more streamlined for Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members, there may be a lack of awareness about psychological injuries in other workplaces, he said.

“I think with putting it on the radar and having the resources available, this is a first step,” Atchison said about the proposed legislation.

“Because we’re at the front lines, we can see the benefits of getting that care,” the fire captain said. “We just need to be able to get it to all the workplaces in need.”

Flanked by Atchison and other first responders on the grand staircase at the legislature, Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino said that’s the goal of her bill that heads to the committee stage for public input.

“Bill 29 recognizes the importance of mental health in the workplace by introducing psychological safety in the workplace health and safety act,” she said.

The legislation would adopt the Canadian Standards Association definition of psychological safety in the workplace.

“We’re leading the way as the first jurisdiction to do this in Canada, laying the groundwork for future regulations to support workplace mental health,” she told reporters.

“We’re ensuring our workplace safety legislation applies not only to physical safety, but also protects the mental health of our workers.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca