Weekly Safety Share #39 - Workplace Violence and Harassment Awareness
Today, I’d like to bring attention to a crucial topic: our workplace violence and harassment policy and where to find it.
Workplace violence is the exercise of physical force by a person against a worker in a workplace that causes or could cause physical injury. It includes any attempt or threat to exercise physical force. A threat can be a statement or behaviour that a worker reasonably interprets as intimidating.
Workplace harassment is defined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker, in a workplace, that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” Vexatious means causing annoyance or worry.
Dangers
Workplace violence and harassment can be:
• Verbal
• Physical
• Visual (e.g., gestures)
• Environmental (e.g., posting derogatory or sexually oriented posters).
It can include bullying and gossip as well as domestic violence that spills over into the workplace.
Workplace violence or harassment negatively affects workers and the work environment.
• It can damage people’s physical and mental health.
• It can decrease productivity and undermine the company culture.
• It can hurt a business financially because of work disruptions, decreased productivity, and the costs of violence-related injuries, government fines, and potential legal action.
• It can negatively affect the relationship between coworkers and between workers and employers.
• It can ruin the company’s reputation with clients and undermine hiring efforts
Controls
Companies are legally required to have a written workplace violence and harassment policy and post it in a conspicuous location at the workplace.
Companies must also protect workers from workplace violence and harassment. This includes conducting investigations and advising workers if there is a risk of workplace violence from a person with a history of violent behaviour.
You can’t always control the behaviour of others, but you can control your own behaviour.
• Act respectfully towards others while at work and during work-related activities.
• Do not engage in or put up with workplace violence or harassment, intentionally or unintentionally. Remember that harassment is often about perception rather than intention.
• Respect the diversity of the workplace. Learn to appreciate the unique qualities and strengths of a diverse workforce.
• Comply with all company policies and co[1]operate with any efforts to investigate and resolve matters arising from a report of workplace violence and harassment.
• Actively participate in any workplace violence and harassment training required by the employer and by law.
• In the event of a workplace violence incident, take care of your own immediate physical safety first and then report the incident to HR, to a manager, or to the police, whichever the situation warrants.
Please review our company’s workplace violence and harassment policy 15.1.2 Harassment and Discrimination Policy, posted on safety boards and located in our Safety Manual in Safety Evolutions in the Appendixes section.
Have a great safe week.