Workplace Violence & Isolation

WorkSafeBC describes working alone or in isolation as working in circumstances where assistance would not be readily available to the worker in case of an emergency, injury or poor health. Isolation may include situations such as two workers working together but who are unable to get emergency help quickly due to their remote location.

To determine whether or not assitance is “readily available,” ask the following questions:

• Are other people in the vicinity?
• Are those people aware of your worker’s need for assistance?
• Are they willing to provide assitance?
• Are they able to provide assistance in a timely manner?

In your day to day work will you be doing any of the following?

• Working regularly after hours and on weekends with supervisor’s knowledge
• Working from home
• Travelling by car in bad weather conditions

• Retail (convenience store) employees
• Taxi Drivers
• Truck & delivery drivers
• Home care & social services employees
• By-law officers & security guards
• Forestry workers (doing high-hazard work with no regular interaction with other people)
• Warehouse workers in cold rooms or freezers
• Night cleaners & custodians in private and public buildings
• Night-shift employees

• Working Alone Handbook
• Workplace Bullying & Harassment FAQ
• Worker Fact Sheet
• Supervisor Fact Sheet

Violence in the workplace is any incidents of violence including attempted or actual assaults, or any threatening statement or behavior, towards an employee by any person other than a co-worker, which give the employee reasonable cause to believe that he or she is at risk of injury.

•Bullying & Harassment has negative effects on the individual, other workers, and the overall workplace.
• Distracted concentration for workers performing higher risk tasks
•Physical and/or psychological injury
•Lower productivity and morale
•Higher absenteeism
•Higher turnover of staff/volunteers
•Higher levels of client/member dissatisfaction

•Have a workplace policy statement
•Prevent or minimize bullying and harassment
•Develop and implement reporting and investigative procedures
•Train workers and supervisors
•Perform an annual review of bullying & harassment policy statement and procedures

•Any person on CFA’s payroll who is covered by WorkSafeBC is considered a worker
•Apply and comply with the CFA’s policy and procedures on bullying and harassment
•Provide leadership by not engaging in bullying and harassment of other workers, supervisors, employer or the community we serve
•Report bullying and harassment if observed or experienced in the workplace