Risk Management and Safety Standard

    The public can expect licensed healthcare professionals to maintain practice environments that are physically, psychologically, and culturally safe.

    This Practice Standard applies to all licensed healthcare professionals in all practice settings. Every licensed healthcare professional is expected to accept responsibility for risk management and safety in their practice, as appropriate for their position and practice setting.

    A licensee must:

    1. Manage unavoidable resource limitations in a manner that prioritizes safety and minimizes harm, and refrain from delivering health services where inadequate resources compromise safety or the standard of care.

    1. Promote infection prevention and control, which means to:
      1. Meet current infection prevention and control practices stipulated by the BC Centre for Disease Control.
      2. Meet any other public health infection control requirements. 

    1. Maintain a safe physical environment, which means to:
      1. Keep professional work areas over which the licensee has control clean and free from hazards, in accordance with WorkSafeBC requirements.
      2. Promptly remediate hazards such as spills, clutter, expired supplies, or malfunctioning equipment and take appropriate steps to prevent recurrence. 
      3. Securely store items that, if stolen or accessed, could pose a risk to patients or others.

    1. Promote cultural and psychological safety, which means to:
      1. Take reasonable steps to create and foster a culturally safe, inclusive, and accessible environment for patients up to the point that would subject the licensee to undue hardship, recognizing that certain circumstances are out of a licensee’s control.
      2. Take appropriate actions to address harm when witnessing disrespectful, discriminatory, racist, or harassing behaviour, whether directed at patients, their substitute decision-makers or families, staff, or colleagues.
      3. Report discriminatory behaviour to CHCPBC as required under the HPOA. 

    1. Ensure equipment and resource availability, which means to:
      1. If the licensee has control over or responsibility for equipment and/or resources:
        1. Ensure that the equipment, supplies, and safety devices necessary and appropriate for the services provided are available and meet applicable safety standards.
        2. Address defective, expired, or missing items immediately.
      2. If the licensee does not have control over or responsibility for equipment and/or resources:
        1. Report concerns about availability and safety to the individual responsible or in accordance with workplace protocols.

    1. Maintain equipment and supplies that fall within the licensee’s control, which means to:
      1. Regularly ensure that equipment used in the delivery of health services has been inspected and maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines and applicable regulations, and document the inspection and maintenance activities.
      2. Promptly remove defective, expired, or unsafe equipment and supplies from use in their practice.

    1. Engage in training and preparedness, which means to:
      1. Regularly complete training appropriate to the practice setting, considering infection control, equipment use and maintenance, emergency procedures, anti-racism and anti-discrimination, and workplace safety.
      2. Ensure availability of up-to-date documentation to support safe, ethical, and effective care, as appropriate to the practice setting, including:
        1. Policies and procedures related to infection prevention and control, equipment maintenance, and emergency preparedness.

    1. Respond to emerging risks, which means to:
      1. Monitor for emerging safety risks, including public health concerns, environmental hazards, and changes in patient conditions that could affect safety.
      2. Adapt infection control, equipment use, and environmental safety measures in response to evolving safety risks.

    1. Document and report safety measures, which means to:
      1. Promptly address, document, and report actual and potential safety risks and errors.
      2. Participate in quality improvement activities and efforts applicable to the practice setting to prevent the recurrence of identified safety issues.

    1. Report serious safety concerns, which means to: 
      1. Report dangerous practice, incompetence, or concerns about another licensed healthcare professional’s ability to safely practise to CHCPBC, as required under the HPOA.

    Glossary

    Health service: any service or activity provided by a licensee in relation to healthcare, including collecting information; assessing, diagnosing, preventing, monitoring, treating, or managing a person’s health or health-related condition; or providing health-related information to an individual or the public, whether or not treatment is provided.

    Patient: a person to whom health services are provided. Throughout the Ethics and Practice Standards, “patient” includes substitute decision-makers, parents, and guardians where applicable.

    Psychological safety: circumstances in which patients and other individuals feel safe to express their ideas and authentic selves, ask questions, raise concerns, report mistakes, and acknowledge limitations without fear of adverse consequences such as criticism, humiliation, punishment, or retaliation. Psychological safety includes cultural and identity safety and supports open communication, mutual respect, continuous learning, and shared accountability. It requires healthcare professionals to actively address power imbalances, bias, and systemic barriers so that all voices—especially those from Indigenous communities and other equity-denied groups—are heard, respected, and valued.

    Substitute decision-maker: a person who is legally authorized to make healthcare decisions on behalf of an adult who is incapable of giving or refusing consent, in accordance with British Columbia law. A substitute decision-maker may include, as applicable:

    • A representative appointed under a representation agreement pursuant to the Representation Agreement Act.
    • A committee of the person appointed by the court under the Patients Property Act.
    • A temporary substitute decision-maker selected in accordance with the Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act.

    Related standards and legislation

    Health Professions and Occupations Act, SBC 2022, c 43