Border agency reviewing safety measures after opioid incidents in Montreal and Niagara
The union representing Canada's border guards says it and the border agency are reviewing safety policies after a pair of frightening incidents with workers — one in Montreal involved carfentanil, and one in Fort Erie with an "opioid-related substance."
The Customs and Immigration Union — which represents more than 10,000 postal, airport and border crossing officers across Canada — first met with the Canada Border Service Agency about a month ago, says president Jean-Pierre Fortin.
Now the two sides are looking at elements such as protective equipment, and what resources are at border crossing offices, Fortin said.
Border officers already carry naloxone and use gloves, face masks and other protective measures, he said. But it's necessary, with the heightening opioid crisis, to review its measures to protect the front-line workers.
"This is probably, right now, our top priority with the union," he said.
The move comes after an incident at a postal office in Montreal about a month ago.
A worker opened a package with carfentanil in it, he said. That's a substance so dangerous that even a tiny amount of contact can be lethal.
The worker survived, as did the Fort Erie border officer in a recent incident. Fortin didn't have details on that case, except to say the officer had an alarming contact with an "opioid-related" substance.
Border officers deal with drugs daily, he said, and see hundreds of thousands of vehicles.
"The job will remain dangerous. That's what it is," he said. But "we're making sure we're taking every step to deal with the threat" of substances such as carfentanil.
That's not the only agency stepping up its measures. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced Friday that frontline officers would carry naloxone and have mandatory protective equipment for drug searches.
Each frontline officer will carry two doses of naloxone nasal spray, the agency said. Members of some specialized units, such as drug enforcement and street crime, will carry personal kits.
They'll also wear respiratory masks, safety glasses or goggles, nitrile gloves and long-sleeve shirts or jackets.
Fentanyl was present in 114 OPP seizures in 2016, the OPP says. It appears 2017 will bring similar levels.
As for the border agency and its union, this work will be ongoing, Fortin said.
The federal agency was unable to respond to CBC inquiries Friday.