Training Tips for Workplace Violence Prevention

Incidents of workplace violence and harassment impact many workers and workplaces from various industries across Canada. According to survey, an estimated 1 in 5 violent incidents in the country occur in workplaces and often lead to injuries and lost-time-injury claims. While it is rare for any fatalities to occur due to workplace violence in Canada, it can lead to victims suffering from a loss of dignity, inability to cope, uncertainty regarding their place at work, mental health issues, and mild to serious injuries that require time off from work to recuperate.

Workplace violence doesn’t always have to be physical. It can be anything that can inflict physical or psychological harm to others, such as verbal threats of physical violence, intimidation, harassment, bullying, verbal abuse, and confrontations.

Employers’ Role in Preventing Workplace Violence

An employer has the ethical and legal obligation to ensure the safety of their employees and create a work environment that is free from violence, threats, or any other issue that causes the employees discomfort or stress. The employer should also take any incident or reported violent behaviour seriously and conduct a thorough investigation before implementing consequences for the person or parties causing the disruption. The employer is also obligated to prevent any future incidents by identifying the triggers and correcting the hazards causing these incidents.

Training Tips for Workplace Violence Prevention

Here are some simple and effective strategies and tips that can help employers prevent incidents of workplace violence & harassment in their organization:

1.     The first step is to create a formal workplace violence prevention policy and training program and educate the employees about it.

2.     Another important step is to get the managers to take an active role while ensuring the employees’ awareness for the violence prevention policy.

3.     Managers should also make sure that the employees are educated about the signs of workplace violence and know where to report incidents and how to respond to them.

4.     The company should foster a climate of respect and trust among all workers through regular events and training programs.

5.     Any incident of bullying, harassment, and toxic personalities should be dealt with immediately to create an example of what won’t be tolerated in the workplace.

6.     Identify any triggers or negativity in the workplace that can lead to stress and outbreaks of violence or contribute towards problematic behaviour.

7.     Conduct thorough screenings during the recruitment process to avoid hiring potentially problematic individuals while ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination and privacy protection laws.

8.     Set a strong mediation program to resolve any internal disputes among employees before the situation gets out of hand.



The Importance of Training

While these tips can help offset the possibility of workplace violence & harassment, they are no substitute for proper training. At Premier Proactive Education, we offer comprehensive training for workplace violence and harassment to help companies meet the S.32 OSHA requirements. We also offer several other employee and manager trainings in Newmarket to create a safer workplace including health and safety rep training, first aid training, working at heights courses, and more!

Get in touch with our workplace safety experts today to discuss your needs!