- Police
- Stress, mental
- Board Directives and Guidelines (stress, mental) (traumatic event)
The worker appealed a decision of the Appeals Resolution Officer denying entitlement for traumatic mental stress.
The worker worked in a clerical capacity for a police force, in the position of major case management clerk. She was responsible for transcribing audio interview with victims, suspects and witnesses. She was also responsible for cataloguing crime scene photographs. On a regular basis, she also watched live interview, via monitor, for the purpose of taking notes and providing interview summaries.The Vice-Chair found that the events described by the worker were objectively traumatic. The worker was a civilian, not a police officer. She had to listen and re-listen to tapes and interviews, and view photographs. Repeated exposure to the same death and same violence from various perspectives, even second-hand, can be seen as traumatic.The worker had entitlement for traumatic mental stress. The appeal was allowed.