• Safety Basics

  April 6, 2023

Violence Prevention

Workplace violence is a risk when working with the public and such incidents have become more frequent in the tourism and hospitality industry in recent years. Employers have specific responsibilities to provide a safe work environment and combat this growing trend.

4 min read

Workplace violence, as defined by WorkSafeBC, includes actual physical harm and/or threatening statements or behaviours, by an individual other than a worker, towards a worker in their place of work.

OHS Regulation 4.27-31 explains the requirements around preventing and responding to violence in the workplace. The starting point is to conduct a risk assessment to assess if there is a risk of violence toward workers.

(Don’t miss the downloadable checklists at the bottom of the page!)

Employer Responsibilities that address the risk and empower staff:

  • Complete Prevention Tasks:
    • Conduct Violence Risk Assessment and Implement Corrective Actions
    • Determine Appropriate Staffing Levels; Hire and Schedule Accordingly
    • Develop Orientation and Refresher Training Modules
    • Contact and Foster Supportive Relationships with Local Law Enforcement, if deemed necessary
    • Contract Security Companies for High Risk Operating Times (i.e. High Volume, Events, etc.) if deemed necessary
  • Train Workers in:
    • Proactive Guest Communication Regarding Expectations and Consequences
    • Building Rapport and Early Mitigation of Unwanted Behavior
    • Incident Management Techniques (including: when to ask for assistance, de-escalation techniques, and worker safety considerations)
    • Reporting and Investigation Procedures (internal and external)
    • Practice Scenarios
  • Promptly and Effectively Respond to Incidents by:
    • Using De-escalation Techniques
    • Continuously Identifying Potential Hazards
    • Requesting Support from Others (Manager/Supervisor, Other Workers, Security, Police, etc.)
    • Reporting Situations to Managers
    • Writing Down What Happened/Complete Incident Reports
    • Enforcing Applicable Consequences
    • Debriefing Incident, Seek Mental Health Support and Identify/Implement Corrective Actions

Industry sector examples are listed below including proactive control measures and incident response considerations:

RESTAURANTS

EXAMPLE SITUATION

A group of guests are angry due to longer than usual wait times for a table; they are becoming disrespectful to the restaurant host.

PROACTIVE PREVENTION TASKS

  • Implement an effective waitlist procedure
  • Train workers on assessing accurate wait times
  • Communicate with guests as early as possible if/when wait times change
  • Train workers in challenging guest interactions
  • Post signage supporting respectful behavior towards staff

DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES

  • Actively listen to guest frustrations and be empathetic
  • Offer alternatives such as sitting at the bar for a drink, if available
  • Set boundaries for unwanted behavior
  • Know when to escalate the situation and ask for managerial assistance

EFFECTIVE INCIDENT RESPONSE

If the guest’s behavior continues to escalate:

  • Ensure personal and other guest safety
  • Report situation to manager (early)
  • Enforce applicable consequences such as asking the group to leave as their behavior will not be tolerated
  • Complete incident report
  • Debrief situation with workers involved
  • Identify and implement corrective actions

PUBS, BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS

EXAMPLE SITUATION

An intoxicated group of individuals has been presenting unwanted behaviour; they are becoming physically irate towards the server because they won’t serve them more alcohol.

PROACTIVE PREVENTION TASKS

  • Practice scenarios so staff know how to avoid overserving
  • Provide tasty, non or low alcoholic drinks as alternatives
  • Make sure water is served to the table throughout the night
  • Suggest different food options to the table throughout the night
  • Train workers in challenging guest interactions
  • Post signage supporting respectful behaviour towards staff

DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES

  • Be assertive and show confidence while using respectful language
  • Set boundaries for unwanted behaviour
  • Explain options and consequences while allowing time for decision making
  • Know when to escalate the situation and ask for managerial assistance

EFFECTIVE INCIDENT RESPONSE

If the guest’s behaviour continues to escalate:

  • Ensure personal and other guest safety
  • Report situation to manager (early)
  • Enforce applicable consequences such as security or police removing them from the establishment
  • Complete incident report
  • Debrief situation with workers involved
  • Identify and implement corrective actions

SKI HILLS

EXAMPLE SITUATION

Ski patrol discover a small group of individuals drinking and smoking in the trees and when they are approached 2 members of the group show aggression towards the patrollers.

PROACTIVE PREVENTION TASKS

  • Post signage regarding unwanted behaviour at the entrance to the area (i.e. in the lift line)
  • Place lighting in known “smoke spots” (for night-skiing operations)
  • Cultivate positive relationships between patrollers and different user groups
  • Have a large ski patrol presence throughout the mountain
  • Develop infraction criteria and consequences that can be communicated to guests. Patrol can rely on this during enforcement
  • Train workers in challenging guest interactions
  • Post signage supporting respectful behaviour towards staff

DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES

  • Use respectful language
  • Be empathetic and non-judgmental
  • Keep your tone and body language neutral
  • Ask them to step into the sight of others when interacting with them on the slopes (to avoid being hidden while in a confrontation; ensuring personal safety)
  • Be assertive and show confidence while setting boundaries
  • Explain reasons for the rules and present options of next steps
  • Let dispatch know where you are and what you are responding to, and ask for assistance if/when needed

EFFECTIVE INCIDENT RESPONSE

If the guest’s behaviour continues to escalate:

  • Ensure personal and other guest safety
  • Get names or passes from the individuals as early as possible
  • Relocate the interaction to a controlled environment such as the patrol hut or the bottom of the slope
  • Report the situation to a manager if you haven’t already done so
  • Enforce applicable consequences such as asking the group to leave for the day or a 3-day hill suspension, etc. (depending on the seriousness of infraction)
  • Complete incident report
  • Debrief the situation with workers involved
  • Identify and implement corrective actions

HOTELS & OTHER SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATION

EXAMPLE SITUATION

A late-night check-in cannot be found in the reservation system and guests get visibly frustrated with the Overnight Front Desk Clerk because the hotel has no vacancy.

PROACTIVE PREVENTION TASKS

  • Implement an effective online reservation system
  • Keep one room as spare for a situation like this
  • Cultivate positive relationships with other hotels in the area that you can call in this situation
  • Train workers in challenging guest interactions
  • Develop work alone safety procedures to ensure lone worker safety (see Work Alone Resources below for more information)
  • Post signage supporting respectful behaviour towards staff

DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES

  • Actively listen to guest frustrations and be empathetic
  • Offer alternatives such as staying in the spare room or another hotel (call and ask about vacancy for them)
  • Set boundaries for unwanted behaviour
  • Focus on solutions and don’t dwell on the problem or try to assign blame
  • Put a note on their file so other workers are aware of the situation
  • Know when to escalate the situation and ask for managerial assistance

EFFECTIVE INCIDENT RESPONSE

If the guest’s behaviour continues to escalate:

  • Ensure personal and other guest safety
  • Report situation to the manager
  • Enforce applicable consequences such as asking them to leave or not providing a stay
  • Complete incident report
  • Debrief the situation with workers involved
  • Identify and implement corrective actions

 

Resources and Templates:

Related Training Opportunities:

For more information:

For more information on this topic and others, contact the go2HR Industry Health and Safety Team.