WORKPLACE VIOLENCE RISK ASSESSMENT: Glossary

Controlled Access Door

A door that restricts entry and can only be accessed by authorized individuals.

Convex Mirror

A mirror having a surface that curves outward.

De-escalation 

The process of reducing the intensity or severity of a conflict, confrontation, or potentially dangerous situation. It involves calming tensions, managing emotions, and taking steps to prevent further escalation or violence. 

Domestic Violence 

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom he/she has or has had an intimate relationship. It may include physical violence, sexual, emotional and psychological intimidation, verbal abuse, stalking, and use of electronic devices to harass and control.

Domestic violence is workplace violence as soon as it occurs in the workplace, and can threaten the safety of not only the worker victim but also his or her co-workers, supervisors and clients. Its effects range from interference felt by all workers to serious harm to an individual.

Egress

A place or means of exiting an area/building. 

Emotional Distress

A state of mental suffering caused by extreme stress, trauma, or sadness.

Employer

A person who employs one or more workers or contracts for the services of one or more workers and includes a contractor or subcontractor who performs work or supplies services and a contractor or subcontractor who undertakes with an owner, constructor, contractor or subcontractor to perform work or supply services.

High Crime Area

A geographic region, neighbourhood, or police jurisdiction, where crime rates or severity of crimes are statistically higher than national or provincial averages

Mental Distress

Any factor that upsets a person’s mental health in a negative way.

Ought Reasonably Aware

Refers to what a typical person, in similar circumstances, would be expected to know or understand.

Remote Work

Work performed in or about a private residence or other non-traditional location, outside the employer’s physical workplace. 

Situational Awareness

The measures and procedures that must be in place to quickly obtain help when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur. 

Summoning Immediate Assistance 

The measures and procedures that must be in place to quickly obtain help when workplace violence occurs or is likely to occur. 

Supervisor

A person who has charge of a workplace or authority over a worker.

Traditional Workplace

A conventional, structured work environment where employees typically work on-site during fixed hours

Unauthorized Access 

The practice of limiting and controlling entry or permissions to certain areas, systems, or information.

Unauthorized Individuals

Individuals who lack the official permission or authorization to be in a specific place, access a system, or perform certain tasks.

Vexatious

Behaviour or actions that are deliberately irritating, frustrating, or worrisome—often intended to provoke or cause trouble.

Vicarious Trauma 

Occurs when someone feels stressed or upset after hearing about another person’s painful or frightening experience.

Worker

Is any of the following, but does not include an inmate of a correctional institution or like institution or facility who participates inside the institution or facility in a work project or rehabilitation program:

1.  A person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation.
2. A secondary school student who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a work experience program authorized by the school board that operates the school in which the student is enrolled.
3. A person who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology, university, career college or other post-secondary institution.
4. Such other persons as may be prescribed who perform work or supply services to an employer for no monetary compensation. 
   

Working Alone

A person is considered to be working alone when they are by themselves and out of sight or hearing range of others.

Workplace

Any land, premises, location or thing at, upon, in or near which a worker works.

Workplace Harassment

Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace, including virtually through the use of information and communications technology, that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome, or workplace sexual harassment. 

Workplace Sexual Harassment

Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace, including virtually through the use of information and communications technology, because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, where the course of comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome, or making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making the solicitation or advance is in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker and the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.

Workplace Violence

The exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker, an attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker, a statement or behaviour that it is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.