Guide to Violence Prevention in the Work Place

Step 6: Work Place Violence Prevention Measures Review

Section 20.7 of the Regulations

  1. The employer shall review the effectiveness of the work place violence prevention measures set out in section 20.3 to 20.6 and update them whenever there is a change that compromises the effectiveness of those measures, but at least every three years
  2. The review shall include consideration of the following:
    1. work place conditions and work locations and activities;
    2. work place inspection reports;
    3. the employees' reports and the employer's records of investigations into work place violence or the risk of work place violence;
    4. work place health and safety evaluations;
    5. data on work place violence or the risk of work place violence in the employees' work place or in similar work places;
    6. the observations of the policy committee, or if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative; and
    7. other relevant information
  3. The employer shall keep, for a period of three years, a written or electronic record of findings following the review of the work place violence prevention measures, and make it readily available for examination by a health and safety officer.

Explanation

At least once every three years you must review the effectiveness of the work place violence prevention measures and update them when necessary. The review may take place more often if there is a change that compromises the effectiveness of the prevention measures. For example, if a client service counter was installed to act as a barrier but a WPV incident occurs when a client climbs over the counter, the prevention measures need to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly. A document entitled "Violence Prevention Program Review" is provided in Appendix D to assist you in reviewing your WPV prevention measures.

This review includes the study of reports in order to identify new hazards resulting from changes in the work place so that appropriate controls can be implemented to correct them.

Work place inspections can be used to regularly monitor the health and safety of your employees. For a work place inspection to be of value, the inspection should be conducted by those who are trained to recognize potential WPV situations. Inspection of prevention measures ensures they continue to be effective and current. Such inspections include checking that physical controls are in working order and that there are no signs of vandalism such as broken items or compromised barriers. These inspections should be part of routine work place inspection.

3.2 Incidents of Work Place Violence

Unfortunately, even after you have completed the identification and assessment steps and implemented controls, work place violence may still occur due to non-foreseeable factors and the nature of your industry. For example, given the unpredictability and increasing sophistication of criminals, a business dealing with valuables may continue to face risks. If you require assistance, Appendix E includes some "Tips for Preventing and Managing Incidents of Violence".

It is critical that procedures are in place so employees know what to do when an incident of work place violence occurs. Sections 20.7 and 20.8 of Part XX of the Violence Prevention Regulations outline the requirements. It is important to instruct each employee that they have an obligation under the Canada Labour Code, Part II, paragraphs 126(1)(g) and (j), to report any work place violence they are aware of, even though they may not be involved.

With the proper procedures in place, all the employees will have a way to report incidents and those adversely affected will have a method of accessing assistance provided by the employer. There will also be clear steps to take to attempt to resolve incidents with the employees involved, which may include an investigation.

The process followed subsequent to a work place violence incident will depend on a number of things, such as whether it was between two employees or between an employee and a member of the general public, the existing procedures and controls to address WPV, and whether engaging in the violent situation is a normal condition of employment.

The flow chart below outlines the steps for pre-planning and for investigating violence in the work place:

Pre-Planning for and Investigation into Work Place Violence (WPV)

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Pre-planning has been described in the sections prior to this illustration and the steps required for investigating violence in the work place will be described in detail in the coming sections.

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Date Modified:
2012-04-19