Prevention begins before an incident
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to prepare a workplace violence policy, review it at least annually and maintain a program that puts the policy into practice.
The program must address risks identified through a workplace-specific assessment. It must also include procedures for workers to report incidents, summon immediate assistance and understand how incidents or complaints will be investigated and handled.
A useful review goes beyond having a document
A workplace may have a written policy but still need to ask whether the process works in real conditions.
Questions to explore include:
- Have risks been assessed for the actual workplace, type of work and conditions of work?
- Can workers quickly summon assistance?
- Do workers know how and to whom they should report a threat or violent incident?
- Are after-hours workers, reception staff, lone workers or public-facing employees considered?
- Are doors, counters, lighting, barriers, safe areas or communication systems appropriate for the identified risks?
- Does the organization have a consistent process for investigating and responding?
- Are changes in incidents, staffing or operations triggering a reassessment?
Where security may fit
Security personnel can support a broader workplace-violence program by monitoring access, observing and reporting concerning behaviour, helping activate emergency procedures and assisting with scene control within their assigned role.
Security is not a replacement for the employer's legal responsibilities, worker training, management procedures or professional support. The security plan should connect with the organization's violence-prevention program rather than operate separately from it.
Keep the plan specific
The law requires the risk assessment to consider circumstances specific to the workplace as well as circumstances common to similar workplaces. A generic checklist can help start a conversation, but it cannot replace a real assessment of the environment.
*This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Employers should review current Ontario requirements and obtain qualified advice for their workplace.*