THUNDER BAY - The number of reported injuries sustained by members of the Thunder Bay Police Service are down in the last quarter of the year, which is to be expected, but every incident provides an opportunity to create a safer work environment in what is already a dangerous occupation.
“Thunder Bay has its share of violence and has a number of people who can either just be violent by nature or it can be a case of dealing with people with mental illness,” said Chris Adams, director of communications and technology with the Thunder Bay Police Service. “It can be a very dangerous place to work.”
Adams, who is also the co-chair of the Joint Health and Safety Committee with the Police Service, presented the fourth quarter report to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board last week.
In the fourth quarter, there were 29 reports of injuries to members, two of which were reoccurring injuries.
“Those injuries range from everything to a slip and fall if its weather related all the way up to physical injuries in dealing with combative persons,” Adams said. “In other cases, it can also delve into the realm of mental health.”
Adams added they are seeing more of a mix when it comes to physical injuries and mental health related reports, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, but of the 29 incidents, the majority remain physical.
“I think people have to appreciate the fact that the job for our officers can be quite physical at times and quite dangerous,” he said. “So they are placed into situations where they are dealing with individuals who can become quite combative and difficult to deal with it. So it’s not unheard of for an officer have to file a report for an injury or seek medical treatment over the course of doing their duties.”
Of the 29 reported incident, very few have resulted in members being required to take an extended leave from work. Adams said most members will seek treatment of a physical injury and be back on the job in a day or two.
According to Adams, the Thunder Bay Police Service is on par with other police services across the country in terms of reported injuries. And while 29 is a little lower than previous years, it does depend on the season, with winter months sometimes seeing the number of reported incidents climbing to 40 or 50.
But every incident provides the Police Service with an opportunity to look at ways to make improvement and help protect members and officers on the job.
“It’s a combination of doing inspections and being aware of the possible risks are but also reacting when an accident or incident occurs where a member becomes injured,” Adams said. “We will take that information and as an organization then try to apply it and say how can we make the job a little bit safer. In some circumstances it’s almost impossible to avoid.”
