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300-BXB-01-IGDO © 2025, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | www.wsps.ca
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Developing Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies and Programs: A Toolbox
This assessment can be useful to workplaces where workers are providing services or products to persons with
physiological, psychological, or psychiatric conditions, or substance abuse issues. Examples of workers providing
services or products to this population include caregivers, parole officers, police, corrections officers, youth officers,
social service workers, and receptionists. Examples of activities include:
• Providing a service to persons with physiological, psychological, or psychiatric conditions, or substance abuse
issues
• Providing a service that involves physical contact with clients who may be unpredictable due to influences
outside the workplace
You are not required to use all or any of the examples of controls. There may be other controls that are more
suitable to the circumstances of your workplace and to controlling the risks of workplace violence that you identify.
Assessment for Specific Risk: Working with Unstable
or Volatile Clients (VC)
Physical Yes No N/A Examples of Controls Existing Controls Recommended Controls
Environment
(identify person(s) responsible
and expected completion
dates, if possible)
VC1. Do clients have
direct physical access
to workers?
VC2. Can workers
call for immediate
help when workplace
violence occurs or is
likely to occur?
Job / Department/ Location: Completed by: Date:
Shading indicates elevated risk
Consider the following
measures:
• Making reception areas visible
to other workers and to the
outside
• Having counters built wide
enough or with barriers to
prevent clients from having
physical access to workers
See VC3 (restricting non-worker
access within the workplace) for
more information.
Measures and procedures could
include:
• providing equipment to
summon assistance, such as
individual or fixed alarms
(sounding or silent) or cell
phones (pre-programmed to
call an emergency number)
• providing GPS tracking
devices or other locating
devices
• providing internal and external
numbers for workers to call
• at all hours of operations
• posted or otherwise readily
available
• establishing an internal code
word or words to indicate that
help is needed
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