As per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 32.0.3 (1) and 32.0.3 (4) “An employer shall assess the risks of workplace violence that may arise from the nature of the workplace, the type of work or the conditions of work ….and shall reassess the risks of workplace violence as often as is necessary to ensure that the related workplace violence prevention policy and program continue to protect workers from workplace violence”.
Between February and March 2023, the Ministry of Labour visited schools across the province of Ontario as part of their Workplace Violence in Education Initiative. As a direct result of their findings, the TDSB committed to ensuring that all workplace violence risk assessments would be reviewed, updated and completed by the end of October 2023. This commitment is also noted in the Joint Health and Safety Committee Minutes (Standing Item: (H) Report of Occupational Health and Safety Department) posted on your school’s Occupational Health and Safety Bulletin Board.
While Workplace Violence Risk Assessments will be undertaken by the principal, ETT members may participate in the process. Each affiliate group at a worksite may conduct and submit their own workplace violence risk assessment at any time and/or, may provide input through a collaborative approach with their principal. The assessment itself may be found on the TDSB Occupational Health and Safety Website where OHS Reporting Forms are located. The assessment is currently under review in preparation; however, a PDF of the most recent format is attached here.
For further information, members may also wish to consult the attached document: Workplace Violence in School Boards, A Guide to the Law. Pages 11-14 outline Workplace Violence Risk Assessments and Reassessments.
