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HSABC member John David Bland stabbed leaving work
 Mental
health employee had only two shifts
remaining before he was scheduled to retire
Vancouver -
John David Bland, a mental health worker, was fatally
stabbed in a parkade after leaving the offices of the Richmond Mental
Health team on Jan. 19.
The 62-year-old man was found by co-workers. He was able to give
police a description of his attacker before losing consciousness. Roy
Dalen, a
49-year-old Richmond man, has been charged with murder. He remains in
custody.
Cindy Stewart, president of HSABC, is calling for a review of
workplace safety for health-care workers. "This can't be seen as
isolated," Stewart said. "This needs a broader review."
An estimated 5-10% of claims filed by health care workers and accepted
by the Workers Compensation Board are related to workplace violence,
Stewart says.
The killing shocked his colleagues, who described Bland as a dedicated
and gentle man. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority said colleagues recalled him as "one of the nicest guys" and
someone who was always eager to learn new approaches to his work.
Two shifts left
An RCMP spokesman said Bland had only two shifts remaining before he
was due to retire. He was ambushed as he walked out of an employees' exit
into the third floor of the parkade. The motivation of the attacker
has not been reported.
A member of the Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/NUPGE),
Bland was a vocational therapist who helped people prepare for jobs
with community organizations and private companies. He had worked in
the mental health field for more than 30 years.
It was the second assault on a B.C. public employee within a week.
Days earlier, a social worker in Saanich was injured in a stabbing
incident at a recreation centre. A client was later charged with
attempted murder.
Provincial government officials have asked the public not to draw any
conclusions as a result of the incidents. NUPGE
Web posted by NUPGE:
23 January 2005
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