Prevention of Workplace Violence

Number
Approved On
Review By
Revised

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    Purpose

    Violence in the workplace is an ongoing occupational health and safety hazard. This policy addresses the prevention of workplace violence as part of the FFPL Board’s responsibility for worker health and safety under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Violence in the workplace is unacceptable. The FFPL Board recognizes that harm caused by incidents of workplace violence extends beyond the physical. The FFPL Board is committed to protecting workers from workplace violence.

    Violent behaviour in the workplace is unacceptable from anyone including FFPLTC Staff, members of the FFPL Board, volunteers, patrons, and others who do business with the FFPLTC. Individuals who violate this policy may be removed from FFPLTC property, and in the case of employees, are subject to disciplinary action including termination.

    The workplace is not restricted to the offices, buildings, facilities and physical work sites of the FFPLTC. It also includes vehicles and any other locations where FFPLTC business is conducted. Any allegation of violence that occurs outside of the workplace but has repercussions in the workplace by adversely affecting relationships is also covered by this policy.

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    Definition

    1. The FFPLTC recognizes the definition of violence as set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Workplace violence means:
      1. the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker
      2. an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker
      3. a statement or behaviour that it is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker
    2. Violence in the workplace may include, but is not limited to:
      1. verbally threatening to attack a worker
      2. leaving threatening notes or sending threatening e-mails to the workplace
      3. shaking a fist in a worker’s face
      4. hitting or trying to hit a worker
      5. throwing or kicking an object
      6. sexual aggression against a worker
      7. intentionally or recklessly damaging of the property of another person
      8. intentionally causing alarm
      9. recklessly creating a risk by fighting
      10. creating a hazardous condition or danger by recklessly engaging in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury
      11. intentionally placing or attempting to place another person in fear of imminent serious physical injury
      12. wielding a weapon
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    Responsibility and Response

    1. The CEO or Designate must develop and maintain a workplace violence program. See the Workplace Violence Prevention Program.

      The program will set out:

      1. a process for assessing the risk of violence in the workplace
      2. measures to control risk including those from domestic violence
      3. procedures for reporting incidents of violence
      4. the process for dealing with, and investigating, violent incidents and complaints
    2. All reports will be thoroughly investigated by the CEO or Designate.
    3. Physical or sexual assault or threat of physical violence will be reported to the police.
    4. FFPLTC Staff will be provided with information on the risk of violence in the FFPLTC and training workshops on a periodic basis.
    5. Anyone experiencing or witnessing imminent danger or actual violence involving weapons or personal injury should call the police.
    6. Workplace violence should be reported immediately to other FFPLTC Staff members present in the FFPLTC and to the CEO or Designate as soon as is feasible.
    7. Employees are encouraged to report behaviour that they reasonably believe poses a potential for violence as described above.
    8. The CEO or Designate, at the request of an employee, or at his or her own discretion, may prohibit members of the public, including family members, from seeing an employee on FFPLTC property in cases where the employee suspects that an act of violence, will result from an encounter with said individual(s).
    9. This policy will be:
      1. reviewed by the FFPL Board annually
      2. posted in the FFPLTC Staff Room along with the Workplace Violence Prevention Program
      3. posted on the FFPLTC website
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    Areas of Identified Risk

    The following areas have been identified as sources of potential or actual workplace violence:

    1. Working with the public
    2. Working in small numbers
    3. Working in any area where money is kept
    4. Closing the FFPLTC
    5. Secondary entrances to the FFPLTC
    6. Working in an area of higher crime
    7. Working within the community
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    Working Alone

    1. FFPLTC Staff will not work alone in the FFPLTC without prior consent of the CEO.
    2. If staff ever find themselves working alone in the FFPLTC, they should let the CEO and someone at home know the situation, and tell both when they are expected to leave and when they get home safely.
    3. Staff have the right to refuse to work alone if they believe that doing so poses the risk of potential or actual violence.
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    Confidentiality

    All investigations shall be conducted in strict confidence to the extent possible. Documents will be stored in a secure location at the FFPLTC. The access to these records will be restricted.

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