 Employees at the Potomac Center in Hagerstown's West End said working conditions at the state-owned facility are so unsafe that they fear for their lives. Kicking, spitting and biting by residents is a regular occurrence, according to employees. Without the proper training, workers contend they also are ill-equipped to handle patients who regularly escape from the facility, a state-owned facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. "The working conditions are unsafe," said Sandy Grove, a direct care associate 2, and a member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 354. "We need training to learn how to work with and deal with them. They need to keep us safe." Grove, along with about 10 employees and union members, held a protest on October 31 near the Potomac Center to inform the community about conditions at the facility.
- excerpted from the Herald-Mail; photo from AFSCME MD Facebook Comments are closed.
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