What an Ontario Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Should Cover
Workplace violence does not always begin with a physical confrontation. It may start with threatening language, aggressive behaviour, repeated unwanted visits, an escalating customer dispute or concerns involving someone connected to an employee.
A workplace violence prevention plan gives employees clear instructions before a situation develops. It should explain the risks present at the workplace, the controls used to reduce those risks, how workers can report concerns and how immediate assistance can be requested.
Direct answer: An Ontario workplace violence prevention plan should be based on a workplace-specific risk assessment. It should include procedures for controlling identified risks, reporting incidents, summoning immediate assistance, investigating concerns, informing employees and reviewing the plan when circumstances change.
Security guards may support access control, de-escalation, emergency response and incident documentation. However, the employer remains responsible for meeting its obligations under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
What Does Ontario Law Require?
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers covered by the Act to prepare workplace violence and workplace harassment policies and review them at least once a year.
At workplaces with six or more regularly employed workers, the policies must be in writing and posted where employees are likely to see them or made available in an accessible electronic format.
The employer must also develop and maintain a program that puts the workplace violence policy into action. According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s guide to workplace violence and harassment requirements, the program must include:
Measures and procedures for controlling identified risks
Procedures for summoning immediate assistance
A process for workers to report incidents
An explanation of how incidents and complaints will be investigated and handled
A policy states the organization’s position and responsibilities. The program explains how the policy will work in practice.
How Should the Workplace Risk Assessment Be Completed?
A useful prevention plan begins with the actual workplace, not a generic template.
Ontario employers must assess risks that may arise from the nature of the workplace, the type of work being performed and the conditions under which that work takes place. The assessment must consider circumstances specific to the workplace and circumstances common to similar workplaces.
An office with controlled access will have different concerns from a public-facing retail business, medical clinic, warehouse or multi-tenant corporate building.
The assessment should consider:
Who can enter the workplace
When employees work alone or in small groups
Areas where staff interact with customers, patients, visitors or members of the public
Past threats, confrontations or unwanted visits
Entrances that are difficult to monitor
Employees opening or closing the property
Parking areas and exterior walkways
Reception desks and interview rooms
Delivery and contractor access
Areas where money, medication or valuable property is handled
Procedures for terminated or suspended employees
Communication problems between departments or shifts
Incident reports, employee concerns, access records and previous emergency calls can help identify patterns that may not be obvious during a daytime walkthrough.
The assessment results must be shared with the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative, when one is present. When there is no committee or representative, workers must be advised of the results.
What Controls Should Be Included in the Plan?
Once risks have been identified, the prevention plan should explain how those risks will be controlled.
The controls should match the property and the work performed there. Installing a panic button may be useful, but it will not help if employees do not know when to use it, who receives the alert or what happens after it is activated.
Workplace controls may include:
Controlled employee and visitor entrances
Reception or security-desk procedures
Visitor sign-in and identification requirements
Restricted access to staff-only areas
Duress alarms or panic buttons
Reliable two-way communication
Video surveillance in appropriate areas
Safe interview or meeting-room layouts
Procedures for employees working alone
Escorts for employees leaving late
Steps for responding to threatening calls or messages
Procedures for unwanted or prohibited visitors
Notification lists for managers, security and emergency services
The plan should also explain who is responsible for each step. Employees should not have to decide during an emergency whether to contact a supervisor, security, 911 or another designated person.
How Can Employees Summon Immediate Assistance?
Ontario workplace violence programs must include measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when violence occurs or appears likely to occur.
The procedure needs to work from every part of the workplace, including reception areas, private offices, meeting rooms, parking areas and isolated workspaces.
Depending on the site, immediate assistance may be requested through:
A direct call to 911
A panic or duress alarm
A radio call to on-site security
A dedicated internal emergency number
A mobile phone or safety application
A verbal code used to alert nearby employees
An intercom or building communication system
Employees should know what information to provide, including their location, what is happening and whether anyone is injured or in immediate danger.
The plan should also address what happens after help is requested. Someone may need to meet emergency responders, keep other employees away from the area, secure an entrance or provide access to a locked part of the building.
A communication method is only useful when employees understand it and it is tested regularly.
What Should Employees Report?
Workers should have a clear way to report threats, aggressive behaviour and other warning signs before they become emergencies.
Reportable concerns may include:
Threats made in person, by phone or online
Aggressive or intimidating behaviour
Physical confrontations
Repeated unwanted visits
Attempts to enter restricted areas
Threatening comments from customers, clients or co-workers
Concerns about a former employee returning to the workplace
Damage to doors, locks or other security equipment
A person watching or following an employee
Domestic violence concerns that may enter the workplace
Employees should know who receives the report, how urgent matters are escalated and whether another reporting option is available if their normal supervisor is involved.
Reporting procedures should not discourage employees from raising concerns because an incident did not become physical. Early reporting gives the employer more time to assess the situation and determine what action may be required.
How Should Incidents Be Documented?
A workplace violence report should record facts, not rumours, assumptions or personal conclusions.
Useful information includes:
Date and time
Exact location
People involved
What was observed, heard or reported
Specific words used when a threat was made
Actions taken by employees or security personnel
Injuries or property damage
Emergency services contacted
Witness information
Video or access records that may be available
Who was notified
Follow-up required
Consistent documentation helps management review what happened and determine whether the existing procedures worked. It may also reveal repeated behaviour, vulnerable locations or times when additional controls are needed.
For more information about creating useful records, read Why Security Incident Reports Matter More Than Most Property Managers Realize.
What Role Can On-Site Security Play?
Security personnel can support a workplace violence prevention program, but their responsibilities must be defined in advance.
Depending on the property, security duties may include:
Monitoring entrances and reception areas
Verifying visitors
Enforcing restricted-access procedures
Responding when an employee requests assistance
Using de-escalation techniques
Separating people when it is safe and appropriate
Contacting police, fire or medical services
Preserving a scene after an incident
Recording observations and actions
Supporting employees entering or leaving the property
Sharing relevant information with an authorized manager
The guard’s instructions should match the employer’s policy, emergency procedures and communication structure.
Security personnel should not be expected to create policy during an incident or make decisions that belong to management, human resources, legal counsel or emergency services.
Lima’s corporate security services can provide a visible on-site presence, access-point monitoring, patrols and emergency-response support for Toronto and GTA workplaces.
Why Does De-Escalation Training Matter?
Many workplace situations can be addressed before they become physical.
Effective de-escalation may involve creating distance, using calm language, avoiding unnecessary confrontation, listening for the actual concern and giving the person clear choices. It also requires recognizing when conversation is no longer working and immediate assistance is needed.
Employees should not be expected to intervene in a dangerous situation simply because they have received basic training. Their first responsibility may be to move to a safer area and summon help.
Security guards can provide a trained response when disputes, denied access or threatening behaviour begin to escalate. The related article How Commercial Security Guards Reduce Workplace Conflicts and Protect Staff explains how an on-site presence can help address difficult interactions.
How Should Domestic Violence Concerns Be Addressed?
Domestic violence can enter the workplace through unwanted calls, threatening messages, stalking or an individual arriving at the property.
Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, an employer who is aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that domestic violence may occur in the workplace and likely expose a worker to physical injury must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect that worker.
The appropriate response depends on the individual situation. Possible precautions may involve adjusting access procedures, notifying designated personnel, reviewing parking arrangements or establishing a clear response if a particular person arrives.
Personal information should only be shared with people who require it to protect the worker. Employers may need legal, human resources or specialized workplace-safety advice when determining appropriate precautions.
The Ontario guide to workplace violence and harassment law provides additional information about employer responsibilities and limits on disclosing personal information.
When Should the Plan Be Reviewed?
Workplace violence policies must be reviewed at least annually. Risk assessments must be repeated as often as necessary to make sure the policy and program continue to protect workers.
A review should also take place when:
An incident or serious threat occurs
A new location opens
The building layout changes
Public access increases
Staffing or operating hours change
New entrances or parking areas are added
Employees begin working alone
Access-control or communication systems change
A new type of service is introduced
Employees report that a procedure is unclear
Drills reveal a communication or response problem
A review should examine what employees actually do, not only what the written document says. If staff cannot explain how to report a threat or request assistance, the procedure needs more work.
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Checklist
Ontario employers reviewing their current plan should ask:
Has a workplace-specific risk assessment been completed?
Have employees or the health and safety representative received the results?
Are the violence and harassment policies current?
Have the policies been reviewed within the past year?
Does the program address every risk identified in the assessment?
Can employees summon immediate assistance from all work areas?
Do workers know how and where to report concerns?
Are management, security and emergency-response roles clearly separated?
Are visitor and restricted-access procedures being followed?
Are incidents documented consistently?
Are employees given appropriate information and instruction?
Is there a process for responding to domestic violence concerns?
Is the plan reviewed after incidents or operational changes?
Any unclear answer identifies an area that may need attention.
Build the Plan Around the Workplace
A workplace violence prevention plan should reflect the people, property and work being protected. A downloaded policy cannot identify an unmonitored entrance, an isolated parking area or a communication problem between the front desk and management.
Employers must take responsibility for assessing risks, establishing procedures and informing workers. Trained security personnel can then support those procedures through access control, visible presence, response, de-escalation and accurate reporting.
Contact Lima Security Services to discuss your Toronto or GTA workplace, operating hours and corporate security coverage during a free consultation.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Employers should review their specific obligations under Ontario law and obtain professional advice when required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Ontario workplace need a workplace violence policy?
Employers covered by Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act must prepare workplace violence and workplace harassment policies and review them at least annually. At workplaces with six or more regularly employed workers, the policies must be in writing and posted or made electronically accessible.
Does a workplace violence plan replace security coverage?
No. The employer’s program establishes responsibilities and procedures. Security personnel may support access control, response, de-escalation and reporting, but they do not replace the employer’s legal responsibilities.
How often should a workplace violence risk assessment be repeated?
The assessment must be repeated as often as necessary to ensure the workplace violence policy and program continue to protect workers. Operational changes, incidents or newly identified risks may require an earlier reassessment.
Can a security guard investigate a workplace violence complaint?
Security personnel may respond to the immediate incident, record their observations and preserve relevant information. The employer should establish who is responsible for the formal investigation and how it will be completed.
Does workplace violence planning include domestic violence?
Yes. When an employer is aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that domestic violence may occur in the workplace and likely expose a worker to physical injury, the employer must take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances to protect the worker.
