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.