A workplace violence risk review should reflect the setting people actually work in. A reception desk, residential complex, customer-facing team and industrial site may each face different exposures. Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires employers to assess workplace violence risks arising from the nature of the workplace, type of work and conditions of work. This practical guide helps start that conversation; it is not a substitute for a site-specific assessment or legal advice.
1. Understand how work is actually performed
Map activities before debating controls. Consider who workers interact with, where interactions occur, whether workers are alone, and what happens after regular hours. Ontario guidance describes risks arising from the physical workplace, the kind of work performed and the conditions under which work takes place.
- Public-facing tasks and difficult interactions
- Work performed alone, remotely or after hours
- Entry and exit arrangements, visibility and waiting areas
2. Review reporting and immediate assistance
Ask workers whether they understand how to report concerns or violence incidents and how to obtain immediate assistance. A policy hidden in a binder is not equivalent to a usable process. The workplace violence program must address reporting, immediate assistance and how incidents are handled.
- Is there an understandable reporting process?
- Who receives reports, including during absences?
- How can immediate assistance be summoned?
3. Examine existing measures, not only equipment
Doors, lighting and physical arrangements can matter, but so do staffing, communication, procedures and supervision. Look at how current measures are used. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions, and note controls requiring a specialist's evaluation.
4. Involve the right internal people
Ontario guidance addresses advising the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative, where applicable, of risk assessment results. Relevant workers often know the circumstances around tasks, visitors and unusual schedules. Plan a process for participation and responsible handling of sensitive information.
5. Revisit the assessment when circumstances change
Do not treat the assessment as a document with no owner. Incidents, physical changes, new operations, shift patterns or staff concerns may justify reassessment. Ontario law requires employers to reassess as often as necessary to keep the workplace violence policy and program protective.
A PRACTICAL NEXT STEP
The useful output is a prioritized, documented set of concerns and follow-up actions owned by the employer. Praetorian can discuss an appropriate consulting scope, but legal compliance and employer responsibilities remain with the workplace parties.
Workplace violence prevention consultingSources and further reading
These are the reference materials used to ground relevant factual statements. They do not constitute an endorsement or affiliation.
General information only. This guide does not replace site-specific assessment, medical instruction, an approved training programme, professional legal advice or an employer's duties.