Guideline - Personal Safety in the Workplace

1. Preamble
2. Purpose 
3. Scope
4. Definitions
5. Roles and Responsibilities
6. Security
7. Procedure for Reporting
8. Confidentiality of Information
9. Other Reference Materials

1. Preamble

Under the Canada Labour Code, Part II, every employer shall ensure that the health and safety at work of every person employed by the employer is protected. The employer establishes the Workplace Health and Safety Committees as well as the National Policy Health and Safety Committee for the purpose of addressing health and safety matters that apply to individual workplaces.

Together, the employer and bargaining agents will work cooperatively via these committees to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all employees.

To that end, Service Canada is committed to providing a workplace that does not tolerate violence in any form, from any source. Therefore, Service Canada will:

• respond to every incident of actual violence or threat of violence where an employee is a victim or the intended victim;
• continue to develop programs and tools designed to increase employee awareness about the issue of workplace violence; and
• provide training on how to respond to actual* and potential incidents.

2. Purpose

This document provides a responsibility framework for dealing with incidents of potential violence in the workplace. No employee should ignore disruptive behaviour which may include oral or written statements, gestures, or expressions that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm. All reports of harassment, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and other disruptive behaviour will be taken seriously and will be dealt with appropriately and immediately.

If you observe or experience this type of behaviour by anyone on our premises, whether he or she is a departmental employee or not, report it immediately to a manager or supervisor.

3. Scope

The guideline on Personal Safety in the Workplace applies to all persons in Service Canada workplaces (employees, managers, contractors, subcontractors, employees of other government departments reporting to Service Canada personnel, and persons contracted through temporary help agencies).

* Incidents of actual violence should be reported immediately to 911.

4. Definitions

Workplace Health and Safety Committee means a workplace health and safety committee established under section 135 of the Canada Labour Code, Part II.

Workplace means any place where an employee is engaged in work for Service Canada.

Workplace violence is defined as any physical or verbal act, threat or abuse, assault or trauma resulting in physical or psychological damage. Any person in contact with the public and/or internal client is at risk of being exposed to any form of violence.

Threats

A threat refers to a warning or intimidation directed at an employee while he/she is performing his/her duties or as a result of performing them.

• Threat - Display of anger intended to inspire fear of retribution in the subject;
• Assault - Violence or abusive physical act;
• Aggressive behaviour- Violent attack against a person (assault).

Manager means the immediate supervisor or manager of the work unit.

Employee means a person employed by Service Canada and includes managers, indeterminate and term employees, students, seasonal and casual employees.

Victim - Any situation in which a person feels helpless and is aware of his/her vulnerability or lack of control over what is occurring.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

• The Deputy Head is committed to working with Service Canada employees to promote a work environment free from personal safety and security concerns.
• Assistant Deputy Ministers are responsible for:
  • ensuring compliance with this guideline; and
  • arranging for periodic evaluation of this guideline and recommending changes as required.
• Managers are responsible for:
  • being aware of issues and potential incidents;
  • gathering facts when an incident is reported;
  • increasing employee awareness;
  • recognizing early warning signs;
  • being aware of when employees are experiencing problems;
  • committing to taking appropriate action when needed;
  • making decisions and ensuring implementation of those decisions, based on recommendations of the Workplace Health and Safety Committee and threat and risk assessments conducted by Security; and
  • understanding that the Personal Safety in the Workplace Guideline also applies to contractors and other persons legitimately in our workplace.
• Employees are responsible for:
  • reporting incidents of potential violence to their manager or, in the event the manager is involved, to another manager in the chain of command; and
  • conducting themselves in a non-threatening way.
• Workplace Health and Safety Committee:

  Canada Labour Code - Section 135(7) a workplace committee, in respect of the workplace for which it is established,
  (a) shall consider and expeditiously dispose of complaints relating to the health and safety of employees;
  […and …]
  (e) shall participate in all of the inquiries, investigations, studies and inspections pertaining to the health and safety of employees, including any consultations that may be necessary with persons who are professionally or technically qualified to advise the committee on those matters;

6. Security

Security's role is to manage the day-to-day security and safeguarding of staff and persons in the workplace by:

• responding to reported incidents of threats of violence or actual violence;
• assisting and supporting any manager who thinks there may be cause for concern;
• assessing the risk of a situation before it escalates into a more serious incident;
• recommending measures that could be taken to address personal safety concerns;
• proposing a strategy to counter the possibility of escalation;
• monitoring the effectiveness of response activities related to incidents of potential violence in the workplace; and
• monitoring implementation activities.

7. Procedure for Reporting

Security Incidents

• Any employee that has been exposed to workplace violence or threat or that is a witness to such behaviour should immediately advice a manager and applies the following steps:
  • Immediately call 911 or the local police number where 911 service is not available. There are provisions in the Criminal Code of Canada dealing with assaults and threats of violence. Police have the authority to remove persons from the premises.
  • The employee and/or witness must inform their manager/supervisor.
  • The manager/supervisor without delay should:
    1. consult the Regional Security Officer if necessary;
    2. complete the manager section of the Security Incident Report and;
    3. fax the form to the Regional Security Office.
  • The Regional Security Officer (RSO) without delay should:
    1. consult the Regional Security Officer if necessary and;
    2. complete the Security incident report Webform.
    3. fax the form to the Regional Security Office.
• The Chief Security Officer will monitor the effect of this guideline by tabulating statistics, analyzing the content and providing monthly briefing to the Deputy Head.

Health and Safety Incidents

• Immediately advise your manager when anything or circumstance in a workplace that is likely to be hazardous to your health and safety or that of other employees or other persons granted access to the workplace by the employer.
• The manager is responsible to respond as soon as possible to reports made by employees.
• The manager shall without delay take the necessary actions to investigate the reported incident according to the legislated requirements under the Canada Labour Code, Part II.
• The manager will advise the Workplace Health and Safety Committee or representatives as specified in the Canada Labour Code, Part II.
• The manager will record and report the incident in accordance with the Canada Labour Code, Part II.

8. Confidentiality of Information

All parties involved in any aspect of an incident or potential incident are expected to take the necessary action to ensure the confidentiality of information contained in the accident report.

9. Other Reference Materials

Service Canada Security:

• Safety and Health in Your Workplace: Guidelines for Employees
• Security and Emergencies: Guidelines for Employees
• Security Policy and Procedures Manual, Departmental

Treasury Board:

Security Volume, Treasury Board Manual
Harassment in the Workplace - Part 1 of 2
Public Service Values and Ethics

Human Resources and Skills Development

Canada Labour Code, Part II