The Five Steps to Building your Workplace Violence Program

• Step 1 – Securing Leadership Commitment
• Step 2 – Assessing Your Program Needs
• Step 3 – Developing the Program Components
• Step 4 – Implementing the Program: Communication, Marketing and Education
• Step 5 – Evaluating the Program

Step 2 – Assessing your program needs

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The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to assess the risks of workplace violence that may arise due to the nature of the workplace, the type of work, or the conditions of work.¹

You are encouraged to involve workers, supervisors, joint health and safety and/ or workplace violence prevention committees, health and safety representatives, and/or unions in this process.¹

Assessing the risks associated with workplace violence should include an assessment of:

• Internal documents such as:
  • Employee feedback from company “suggestion boxes”;
  • Security logs;
  • Reports about emergencies, incidents and accidents;
  • The minutes from joint health and safety committee meetings;
  • Workplace inspection reports;
  • Reports generated through collective agreements;
  • High-level Employee Assistance Program usage reports (which do not identify individuals);
  • Grievances; or,
  • Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims.¹
• The organization’s physical environment;
• The work setting and clients;
• Community workplace violence issues;
• Point-of-care work practices;
• Staff perceptions.²

Risk Assessment Resources:

• Assess the physical environment, work setting and work practices – PSHSA Workplace Violence risk assessment tools for:
  • Acute Care
  • Long Term Care
  • Community Care Handbook and tools
  • General workplaces

Additional Resources to support Step 2:

• An organizational assessment tool that assists hospitals in identifying where they are in their workplace violence prevention journey
• Workplace violence program assessment checklist
• Survey staff -See Pre-risk assessment survey
• Checklist of Risk Factors for Violence or Responsive Behaviours
• Point of Care Work Practice Assessment

References:

1. Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO) Workplace Violence Prevention Series – Developing Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies and Programs: What Employers Need to Know;
2. PSHSA – A guide to the Development of a Workplace Violence Prevention Program: Implementing the Program in your Workplace.