Risk Assessment

A risk assessment must be performed in any workplace in which a risk of injury to workers from violence arising out of their employment may be present.

The risk assessment must include the consideration of:

• previous experience in that workplace,
• occupational experience in similar workplaces, and
• the location and circumstances in which work will take place.

The risk assessment may include the consideration of:

• layout and condition of the workplace, including furniture placement, the existence of barriers between workers and the public, lighting, and methods of access and egress;
• types of equipment, tools, utensils, etc. that are used or available;
• extent and nature of contact with persons other than fellow workers and their type and gender, including the use of alcohol and drugs by them;
• age, gender, experience, skills and training of the workers concerned;
• existing work procedures, for example, when interacting with the public or in having to enforce the employer's rules or policies with regard to the public;
• existing violence prevention initiatives or programs;
• communication methods by which, for example, information about risks, incidents or threats of violence or requests for assistance may be sent;
• existence of clearly marked exit signs and emergency procedures; and
• staff deployment and scheduling, including the extent to which persons work at night, work alone, are checked when working alone and the availability of backup assistance.