Violence in the Workplace

March 20, 2024•2 min read

Violence in the Workplace

Healthcare workers face significant risks of encountering verbal, physical, or psychological violence within their workplaces. Such incidents not only affect the victim but also impact others through the workforce, influencing organizational culture and overall work environment. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 3577.5 documented acts of violence or assaults on healthcare workers, highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue.

Understanding Violence

Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Regulation Part 11, defines violence as:

a. The attempted or actual exercise of physical force against a person; and

b. Any threatening statement of behaviour that gives a person reasonable cause to believe that physical force will be used against the person.

Employers are responsible for identifying potential dangers and reducing the risk of violence to their workers. Healthcare facilities are subject to Part 11 of the regulations, which requires employers to assess the risk of violence, create, implement, and enforce policies, and investigate incidents promptly.²

Identification and Mitigation of Risks

Employers can take actions to reduce incidents of violence by recognizing common triggers and risk factors. These triggers may include:

prolonged wait times,
patient confusion,
substance abuse, and
emotionally charged situations.

Potential hazards which can increase the risk to healthcare workers may include patient -related issues, and environmental factors. Some examples to consider when assessing risk factors: pain, mental health conditions, substance abuse history, crowded waiting rooms, inadequate security, staffing shortages, and working alone.

Prevention Strategies

To prevent workplace violence, organizations must establish comprehensive prevention strategies:

Development of safe work procedures to control identified hazards.
Ongoing risk assessments: Continuously evaluate risks, identifiable changes in patients/clients/residents or visitors, and environmental factors.
Effective communication: Ensure clear communication channels to notify workers about individuals at higher risk of violent behaviour.
Training and Preparedness: Conduct regular drills (e.g. code white, silver, and black), de-escalation training to prepare workers for responding to violent incidents.
Compliance Monitoring: Regularly monitor adherence to policies and procedures related to violence prevention.

Reporting and Investigation

Encouraging worker awareness and prompt reporting of violent incidents is essential. Workplace safety and health committees should promote training, incident reporting and may participate in investigations and review annual report on violent incidents.

Post-Incident Support

Recognizing the psychological impacts of violent incidents, workplaces should offer post-incident support, such as debriefing sessions with crisis intervention teams or access to employee assistance programs, to aid affected individuals in coping with the aftermath.