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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
OTTAWAFederally regulated Canadian employers must take steps to prevent workplace violence under regulations released by the federal government.
Employers must develop a policy to prevent workplace violenceincluding bullying, teasing or abusive behaviorand provide training for all workers who are exposed to or are at risk of workplace violence, according to the regulations. Employers also are required to assess and evaluate the risk and potential for workplace violence, put controls in place to prevent workplace hazards and investigate acts of violence. They must also assess the effectiveness of their policies and measures at least every three years and update them as necessary.
The regulations, which are now in effect, apply to employers in certain sectors under federal labor jurisdiction, including banking, transportation and telecommunications. Employers in other sectors are governed by provincial regulations and statutes, several of which have been, or are in the process of being, revised to address workplace violence.
About 17% of all violent incidents occurred in the victim's workplace, according to a Statistics Canada study released last year.