High-tech weapons screening system to be trialled at Alberta emergency department

A new weapons detection system aimed at reducing violence in hospital emergency departments is set to be trialled at an Edmonton hospital and, if successful, could be rolled out across other health-care facilities in Alberta.

A request for proposal issued by Alberta Health Services in October is looking to test technology at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) emergency department as part of a two-year pilot project.

The move has been welcomed by associations and unions for health-care workers who say the move to bring more security measures to Alberta hospitals is good news for an industry that's seen a steady rise in violence towards workers.

A survey this year from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions said six in 10 nurses reported experiencing violence over a one-year period. 

A previous report from CFNU suggested lost-time injuries related to violence among health-care workers rose by 66 per cent between 2006 and 2015. 

"This is not a new problem," said Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and president for the section of emergency physicians for the Alberta Medical Association.

Thirsk said the issue of violence in emergency departments has been on the rise for more than 25 years. 

Often patients in the emergency department are dealing with disorientation due to medication, illness and sometimes dementia. Thirsk said in some circumstances that can lead people to react violently.

"So it's understandable, but it is also something that we should do our best to prevent and mitigate and make as safe as possible for everyone who is in the emergency department."

Pending a review, the technology could become permanent and adopted at other AHS facilities, said Kristi Bland, an AHS spokesperson.

Bland said the provincial health agency wants to reduce the number of weapons entering the hospital’s emergency department.

Bland said the Royal Alexandra Hospital was chosen because of its higher-security needs.

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta, a union representing many frontline health-care workers, also agrees that safety has been a growing concern in hospitals. 

Over the past five years incidents of harassment and violence against health-care workers are on the rise, HSAA spokesperson Matt Dykstra said in an emailed response to questions.