The rollout of the redesigned Safety Management System (SMS) in the Cypress Health Region has seen Element 1 of 6 completed.

The redesigned system, in collaboration with Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Saskatchewan (SASHW), has been built to improve safety for employees, patients, and all other individuals interacting with the health system.

Jeff Schwan is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety, Infection Control, and Emergency Preparedness with the Cypress Health Region. He explains when the health region started to plan out the new safety system, that's where they found deficiencies in the current system.

"What we've done is enhance the current system as we've created efficiencies because, in healthcare, we're kind of in a unique industry where we have many streams of safety that we need to ensure that we're accountable for."

The new system, according to Schwan and the health region, is more encompassing and will be accountable for more than just the staff who are covered under the current SMS. In a release from the Cypress Health Region, they state the redesigned system factors in the safety rights and responsibilities of employees, patients/clients/residents, volunteers and visitors, contractors, students, physicians and medical residents, and vendors/suppliers.

Schwan explains that within a combined safety management system, it's important to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities.

"So for our patients to come into our facilities, they need to be aware that they have responsibilities as well. As well, our staff will be able to educate the patients on roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities as they come in. This will ensure that we're looking for the hazards that could pose a threat not only to staff but to anyone who walks into our facilities," he said.

He also shared the health region's hopes for the new system once full implementation has occurred.

"We will be having a true culture of safety within the Cypress Health Region where we are combining staff and patient safety - that is our ultimate goal".

The Cypress Health Region has just completed their first 30-day audit on the system as well.

"We just focused on the staff at this point, and we are going to be rolling out to the public now within the Cypress Health Region. As well, we are starting to roll out to the rest of our staff throughout the region just on our Element 1. The Cypress Regional Hospital was our pilot and that's where we conducted our first audit process for the Safety Management System," he said.

The Director of Occupational Health and Safety says they have seen quite a bit of success so far as they continue the rollout. As well, he says the rollout will be completed by June 2017. However, the health region will continue rolling out the new SMS in different stages due to attention that each element will need during the 90-day stages.

Below is the timeline for the implementation of all six elements in the new SMS:

Completed

Element 1 - Management & Leadership

Completion Date: April 1st, 2017

Element 2 - Hazard Identification & Control
Element 3 - Training & Communication
Element 4 - Inspections

Completion Date: June 1st, 2017

Element 5 - Incident Reporting & Investigation
Element 6 - Emergency Response

The SMS redesign stems from a mandate by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health to lower the number of on-the-job injuries for healthcare workers.

Schwan and the Cypress Health Region hope the new system creates an in-sync environment between staff and patients to help lower the number of workplace injuries, as injury rates of healthcare workers continue to be amongst the highest of any industry in Saskatchewan.

More information on all six elements will be added in the coming days on the Cypress Health Region website.

Updates on the progress of the SMS implementation will be given by the Swift Current Online newsroom as soon as notification is received from Cypress Health Region.