SCHOOL DISTRICT
NO. 78 (FRASER-CASCADE)
POLICY
NO: 6050
DATE: 98-02-24
REVISED:
SUBJECT: PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORK PLACE
FOR EMPLOYEES
==========================================================================================
The Board of School Trustees is
committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for its
employees. In doing so, the Board also
recognizes the potential for violence that exists in the work place, the importance
of having policies and procedures in place to address this risk and the need
for the instruction of employees who may be exposed to this risk. The Board also recognizes its responsibility
to provide appropriate services and support to those individuals whose
behaviours may threaten injury or cause injury to employees of the
District. The Board believes that it is
the responsibility of all District personnel to work together to identify,
report, investigate, document and control incidents of violence towards the
minimization or elimination of the risk to employees of violence. The protection of Workers from Violence in
the Work-place is noted in W.C.B. Regulations (8.92 (a), (b), (c); 8.94 (1),
(2), (3 a, b, c, d).
The Board of School Trustees believes
that it is the responsibility of all District personnel to work together
towards providing a safe work place for all employees. Towards this end, the Board of School
Trustees shall follow the Workers' Compensation Board Regulations on the
Protection of Workers from Violence in the Work place (8.92). The Board will establish procedures,
policies and work environment arrangements to eliminate the risk to workers
from violence (8.92 (a)). Where
elimination of the risk to workers is not possible, procedures, policies and
work arrangements will be established to minimize the risk to workers (8.92
(b)). Procedures for reporting,
investigating and documenting incidents of violence, in accordance with the
requirements of the Workers' Compensation Board Regulations, will be
established (8.92 (c)).
SCHOOL DISTRICT
NO. 78 (FRASER-CASCADE)
REGULATIONS
NO: 6050 R
DATE: 98-02-24
REVISED:
SUBJECT: PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORK PLACE
FOR EMPLOYEES
==========================================================================================
1. The Board of School Trustees believes
that it is the responsibility of all personnel to identify situations of risk
so that appropriate planning for prevention, intervention and follow-up can be
put in place.
2. Workers shall follow the procedures
implemented for their protection and immediately report all incidents of
violence.
3. The District's Health and Safety
Committee will monitor health and safety hazards and make recommendations to
the Board regarding changes to policy and procedures.
4. Definition of Violence
"... the attempted or actual
exercise by a person, other than a worker, of any physical force so as to cause
injury to a worker, and includes any threatening statement or behaviour which
gives a worker reasonable cause to believe that the worker is at risk of
injury".
(As
defined in the WCB regulation)
5. Risks Identification
5.1
Identification of situations
of risk of violence is the responsibility of all School District employees.
5.2 Situations
involving risk of violence identified are to be reported immediately to the
site Supervisor/Principal and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Board.
5.3 Copies
of reports outlined in 5.2, along with a summary of action taken, are to be
forwarded to the Safety Committee and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Board.
6. Action Plan: Situation of Risk of Violence
6.1 Once
a risk has been identified, an action plan will be developed by a Committee
under the direction of the site Supervisor/Principal. Committee members will include:
- site Supervisor/Principal (Chair)
- employee at risk
- support person for employee
- appropriate resource personnel, as
required.
6.2 The
Committee should reference the Ministry of Education Violence Prevention
Handbook released May 1995 and the Workers' Compensation Board Regulations on
the Protection of Workers from Violence in the Work-place released November
1993. The Committee will:
6.2.1 establish procedures, policies and work
environment arrangements to eliminate the risk to workers from violence (8.92
(a)),
6.2.2 where elimination of the risk to workers
is not possible, establish procedures, policies and work arrangements to
minimize the risk to workers (8.92 (b)) and,
6.2.3 establish procedures for reporting,
investigating and documenting incidents of violence in accordance with the
requirements of the Workers' Compensation Board Regulations (8.92 (c)).
6.3 The
Action Plan will include, but is not limited to, the following:
6.3.1 name(s) of person(s) creating the risk,
6.3.2 name(s) of person(s) directly at risk,
6.3.3 a description of the demonstrated
behaviour which is creating a risk,
6.3.4 a description of the expected appropriate
behaviour, including the rationale,
6.3.5 efforts in the past, if any, to change
behaviour,
6.3.6 circumstances which tend to cause at-risk
behaviour, or an escalation of behaviour,
6.3.7 procedure/strategies to affect desired
behaviour,
6.3.8 consequence for violent misbehaviour, if
appropriate.
6.4 Principals/Supervisors
are responsible for filing all Action Plans at the work site with a copy forwarded
to the District Safety Committee and the Secretary-Treasurer.
7. Orientation of staff with respect to
identified risks
7.1 Where
persons are known who may display violent behaviours, the Principal/Supervisor
will include the following in orienting staff to the risk of violence and to
the nature and extent of the risk (8.94 (1)):
7.1.1 review
of this policy,
7.1.2 philosophy
of the District,
7.1.3 current
action plans at work site file,
7.1.4 emergency
procedures in the event of a problem,
7.1.5 reporting
procedures.
7.2 Supervisors/Principals
are to review this policy with staff at least at the beginning of each school
year.
7.3 The
identity of persons who may display violent behaviour or have a history of
violent behaviour should be made known, in confidence, to all staff who may
reasonably be required to have contact with that person (8.94 (1)).
8. Intervention
8.1 When
an incident involving violence or the threat of violence occurs, the first
action of all personnel will be to secure the safety of students, themselves
and other staff.
8.2 Employees
will then call for assistance, using their best judgment, balancing the
severity of the incident with the most appropriate response. Assistance may be obtained from:
- immediate Supervisor,
- school-based team,
- community agencies, such as:
- R.C.M.P.,
- ambulance,
- fire department.
8.3 As
soon as practical, after an incident of violence or threat of violence, the
Principal/Supervisor and employee(s) involved will complete a report of the
incident for filing with the District Safety Committee and the
Secretary-Treasurer (8.96 (1)).
8.4 The
Board, through the District Code of Conduct and Safety Committees, shall ensure
that the corrective actions are taken in response to incidents of violence
(8.96 (2)).
8.5 The
Board shall ensure that an employee reporting an injury or adverse symptom as a
result of an incident of violence be advised to consult a physician for
treatment or referral (8.96 (3)).
9. Role of Safety Committee
9.1 Receive
and file copies of all violence reports written under Section 5.3.
9.2 Review
monthly, any new violence reports received.
9.3
Forward, to the
Secretary-Treasurer, violence reports and associated documents that have raised
concerns with the Safety Committee.
Along with the reports, the Committee will make recommendations towards
the modification and refinement of policy, procedures and work environment
arrangements to eliminate or minimize the risk to employees of violence in the
work-place (8.92).