| Violence in the workplace is quickly becoming the | | | | There is little doubt that given the current stresses |
| buzz word of the time. Most governments are now | | | | we are all exposed to, employers need to create a |
| considering legislation that will force companies to deal | | | | safer workplace for its employees, and if it takes |
| with these issues in order to improve workplace | | | | government intervention to do so, then count me in |
| safety. Take Bill 168, in the province of Ontario | | | | as a supporter. |
| Canada, that is about to take effect on June 15, | | | | Last week there was a news event about some |
| 2010. | | | | young man in high school that took his own life after |
| The Bill, under the Health and Safety Act, requires an | | | | reportedly being the victim of ongoing bullying. The |
| employer to assess the risk of workplace violence | | | | school board and high profile community members |
| that may arise from the nature of the workplace, | | | | set up a task force to examine what can be done |
| and the type of work or the conditions of work. The | | | | about this ongoing issue in schools today. All this, just |
| assessment must take into account common risks at | | | | on the heels of this new Bill 168 Workplace Violence |
| other similar workplaces and risks specific to the | | | | and Harassment legislation that is to take effect June |
| employer's workspace. A copy of the risk | | | | 15, 2010. |
| assessment and its results must be provided to the | | | | Rather than gather more adults and so-called experts |
| joint health and safety committee or health and | | | | to see what can be put in place to deal with these |
| safety representative. If there is no committee or | | | | issues, the task force should be made up of mostly |
| representative, employees must be advised on how | | | | students and the primary focus should be on HOW |
| to obtain copies of the assessment and its results | | | | do we empower students to resolve these sorts of |
| and it must be provided to workers on request. | | | | conflicts themselves. As the old saying goes "Give |
| A good strategy to stay ahead of any legislation | | | | the man (student) a fish, you feed him for a day. |
| should include the following: | | | | Teach him/her how to fish you feed them for life". |
| - An overview and understanding of the legislation | | | | The fact that Bill 168 and similar legislation has been |
| and or pending legislation that emphasize key | | | | needed, is evidence that students and young adults |
| components and legal duties of your organization. | | | | were never taught how to fish for themselves. |
| - Recognized and approved best security practices | | | | As a society that is more and more reliant on |
| for conducting workplace violence risk assessments. | | | | technology and less reliant on working with one |
| - Putting workplace violence in perspective with other | | | | another, schools should adopt mandatory effective |
| security issues in your organization. | | | | communications skills. Books like Dale Carnegie's "How |
| - The categories of workplace violence and how | | | | to Win Friends and Influence People" or Dr. George |
| each one requires different mitigation actions. | | | | Thompson's "Verbal Judo" need to become part of |
| - Steps to creating a court defensible workplace | | | | the curriculum. |
| violence program. | | | | You see, since the game boy generation, our kids |
| - Workplace Violence Risk Assessment - more than | | | | have been taught that in order to win at "the game" |
| checklists. | | | | you have no time to think; you simply need to react |
| - Written and implementation plan of effective | | | | as quickly as possible and faster than the game. That |
| policies and procedures that work. | | | | has created a generation of society that goes |
| - Training programs - what works and what doesn't - | | | | through life reacting before thinking of what the |
| getting buy-in from the beginning. | | | | consequences might be. We give our kids violence |
| - Incident management - the multidisciplinary team | | | | simulator and take away many of the social |
| approach. | | | | programs from our school curriculum and then act all |
| - Mitigating the impact of incidents to minimize the | | | | shocked when they develop violent or aggressive |
| impact on your operations. | | | | behaviour. |
| - Case management - how proper recording and | | | | There is no law, no matter how strict, that will ever |
| analyzing incident reports can enable you to take | | | | resolve the issue or workplace violence and |
| proactive preventive steps to prevent future | | | | harassment. The only way to resolve the issue is to |
| incidents. | | | | empower tomorrow's generation with communication |
| - Supporting the victims of workplace violence to | | | | and social education skills they need to survive in this |
| minimize the effect on the workplace. | | | | shrinking world. |