Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other disruptive behaviour that occurs at the work site, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault.
What Is Workplace Violence?
Workplace violence encompasses a spectrum of behaviours: verbal threats, intimidation, harassment, physical assault and in extreme cases, homicide. Canadian OHS legislation requires employers to assess the risk of workplace violence, develop prevention policies and establish response procedures.
Types of Workplace Violence
- Type I - Criminal intent: The perpetrator has no legitimate relationship with the workplace (robbery, trespass).
- Type II - Client/customer: Violence from clients, patients, customers, or students.
- Type III - Worker-on-worker: Violence between coworkers, including bullying and harassment.
- Type IV - Personal relationship: Domestic violence that spills into the workplace.
Employer Obligations
- Conduct a workplace violence risk assessment.
- Develop a workplace violence prevention policy and program.
- Provide training to workers on recognizing, reporting and responding to violence.
- Establish reporting procedures and investigate all complaints.
- Implement physical security controls where warranted.
Report and Track Incidents
Make Safety Easy provides confidential incident reporting channels, investigation workflows and trend analytics to help employers identify and address workplace violence risks proactively.