ADOSH-SF Code of Practice 13.0 - Violence in the Workplace

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Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and
Health System Framework
(ADOSH-SF)
Code of Practice
CoP 13.0 – Violence in the Workplace
Version 4.0
July 2024

ADOSH-SF – Codes of Practice
CoP 13.0 - Violence in the Workplace -Version 4.0 – 15 th July 2024 Page 2 of 14
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Training and Competency ........................................................................................................................... 4
3. Requirements .................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................................. 6
3.2 Workplace Violence Prevention Program Requirements ....................................................... 7
4. Record Keeping ............................................................................................................................................... 9
5. References ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
6. Document Amendment Record ............................................................................................................... 11
Appendix 1: Sample Workplace Violence Factors and Control Checklist .......................................... 12

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1. Introduction
(a) This Code of Practice (CoP) applies to all employers within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
and is designed to incorporate requirements set by ADPHC and Sector Regulatory
Authorities (SRA’s) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. If requirements of this document
conflict with requirements set by another regulatory authority, employers are required
to follow the more stringent requirement.
(b) The purpose of this code of practice is to ensure that employers take measures to
prevent or minimize the occurrence of violence in the work place and to protect
employees and other potentially affected persons against it, ensuring that they have
access to assistance and recourse if they happen to be exposed to it.
(c) Work place violence is "Any action, incident, or behavior that departs from reasonable
conduct in which a person is assaulted, threatened, harmed, or injured in the course
of, or as a direct result of, his or her work”.
(d) Types of Workplace violence include but are not limited to:
(i) Violence by Strangers: This is violence committed by an assailant who has no
legitimate business relationship to the workplace of the worker.
(ii) Violence by Customers or Clients: This is violence committed by an assailant who
either receives services from or is under the custodial supervision of the
affected workplace or the victim.
(iii) Violence by Co-workers: This is violence committed by an assailant who has
some employment related involvement with the workplace, for example, a
current or former employee, supervisor or manager.
(iv) Violence by Personal Relations: This is violence committed by an assailant who
confronts an individual with whom he or she has or had a personal relationship
outside of work.

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2. Training and Competency
(a) Employers shall ensure that OSH training complies with the requirements of:
(i)
ADOSH-SF – Element 5 – Training, Awareness and Competency;
(ii)
ADOSH-SF – Mechanism 7.0 – Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner and
Service Provider Registration.
(b) Training on the general workplace violence and job-specific workplace security
practices shall be provided to all employees based on risk assessment, in a language
they understand
(c) Awareness activities shall include, but are not be limited to:
(i) An overview and definition of workplace violence;
(ii) The workplace violence prevention policy and program;
(iii) The laws and regulations covering violence;
(iv) The contents of the risk assessment, including all significant identified risk
factors, such as high risk activities and tasks, dangers, and times of day when
the risk of violence is increased;
(v) Techniques on how to recognize and avoid potentially violent situations;
(vi) Proper use of security measures and engineering controls designed to reduce
risk;
(vii) Incident reporting procedures; and
(viii) Emergency response procedures to be followed in the event of violent incident
.
(d) Appropriate training shall be given to supervisory and managerial personnel, as per
the entity’s needs and risk assessment, to enable them to:
(i) Explain and respond to questions about the organization’s policy regarding
violence;
(ii) Identify changes in staff performance and behavior that may indicate a risk of
workplace violence;
(iii) Assess the working environment and identify working methods or conditions
that could be changed or improved to prevent, reduce and eliminate workplace
violence;
(iv) Support recovering employees, provide advice and help them with
administrative procedures; and
(v) Ensure that any information on workers exposed to or suffering because of
workplace violence is kept confidential, in accordance with national laws and
regulations.
(e) Specific training relating to the worksite shall be provided to any designated Security
Personnel, including the psychological components of handling aggressive and
abusive customers / clients, and ways to handle aggression and defuse hostile
situations.

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(f) Employers shall ensure First Aiders are suitably trained on:
(i) The first aid treatment
(ii) The procedures to call for medical assistance; and
(iii) The requirements of the employer's workplace violence program.
(g) Refresher training shall be provided at appropriate intervals.
(h) Employers shall maintain a record of the required training that contains the following:
(i) name and ID number;
(ii) Emirates ID number of the employee;
(iii) subject(s) of training;
(iv) date(s) of training; and
(v) person providing the training.

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3. Requirements
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities
3.1.1 Employers
(a) Employers shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.5
.
(b) Employers shall ensure a risk assessment is performed in accordance with
ADOSH-SF-
Element 2 - Risk Management to determine significant risk factors, such as high risk
activities and tasks, dangers, and times of day when the risk of violence is increased.
(c) Employers shall, as far as practicable, provide and maintain a working environment
where employees are not exposed to workplace violence. This includes, but is not
limited to requirements to:
(i) The routine assessment of the incidence of workplace violence and the factors
that support or generate workplace violence;
(ii) Assigning responsibilities and developing policies and plans at the workplace to
combat workplace violence and establishing the required monitoring
mechanisms and range of sanction;
(iii) Providing information, instruction, training and supervision so employees can
perform the work safely;
(iv) Providing security personnel if required based on risk assessment;
(v) Consulting and cooperating with safety and health representatives, if any, and
other employees, regarding occupational safety and health at the workplace;
(vi) Consulting with representative of the workers on the development of relevant
policies and plans and how to implement them; and
(vii) Setting up of mechanisms for collecting data and information in the area of
workplace violence.
3.1.2 Employees
(a) Employees shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.7.
(b) Employees are required to take reasonable care for their own safety and health at
work and to avoid harming the safety and health of other people through any act or
omission at work.
(c) Employees must comply as far as they reasonably can with instructions given by their
employer in the interests of safety or health and follow workplace policies and
procedures.
(d) Employees must attend relevant educational and training programs.
(e) Employees must report to their employer work-related violence cases.

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(f) Employees must seek guidance and counselling if involved in situations that may lead
to workplace violence.
3.2 Workplace Violence Prevention Program Requirements
(a) Where risk of workplace violence exists, employers shall develop programs, plans and
policies in consultation with employees and/or committees to manage and eliminate
violence in the worksite. The workplace violence prevention program shall include but
not be limited to:
(i) A list of the relevant risk factors identified in the workplace examination
(Appendix 1: Sample Workplace Violence Factors and Control Checklist). These
sample checklists can help employers identify present or potential workplace
violence problems;
(ii) Measures and procedures to control the relevant risks that are identified in the
employer’s assessment;
(iii) Measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace
violence occurs or is likely to occur;
(iv) Measures and procedures for workers to report incidents of workplace violence
as required by
ADOSH-SF - Element 7 – Monitoring, Investigation and Reporting;
(v) Employee information and training as required in Section 2 of this document;
(vi) Procedures for the employer to investigate and deal with incidents and
complaints of workplace violence as required by
ADOSH-SF – Mechanism 11.0 –
Incident Notification, Investigation and Reporting;
(vii) Audit/Inspection program to ensure worksites are following the violence
prevention program requirements, as per
ADOSH-SF - Element 8 - Audit and
Inspection; and
(viii) A plan for program review and update on at least an annual basis or after a
serious incident.
(b) Whenever reasonably practicable, control measures shall be used to eliminate/reduce
the risks of violence. Control measures may include, but are not limited to:
(i) Security doors where access is via a security card or code,
(ii) Video monitoring; and
(iii) Job rotation to reduce the amount of time workers are stressful, especially when
they are new to the job as required by
ADOSH-SF - CoP 9.2 - Managing Work-
Related Stress.
(c) The entity’s Emergency Management System developed as required by
ADOSH-SF-
Element 6 - Emergency Management shall cover workplace violence if required based
on risk assessment.
(d) Employers at sites where there is a developing pattern of workplace violence incidents
which may involve criminal conduct or a serious injury shall attempt to develop a
protocol with the Police to ensure that violent crimes committed against employees
in the workplace are promptly investigated and appropriately prosecuted. In addition,
employers shall provide employee assistance (counselling) services.

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(e) The employers, in consultation with employees, shall evaluate the effectiveness of
the workplace violence prevention policy and program, at least annually or after a
serious incident. The review should focus on incident trends and the effectiveness of
the control measures.
(f) If required in compliance with the requirements of this CoP, any security personnel
and security firms contracted by the entity shall be appropriately certified and
licensed by the relevant Security Authority(s) (Ministry of Interior of United Arab
Emirates).

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4. Record Keeping
(a) At a minimum, the following information shall be documented and records kept for any
violence prevention program:
(i) Records of work violence incidents;
(ii) Medical reports of relevant work injury and supervisors reports for each recorded
assault.
(iii) Police reports of violence incidents occurring in the workplace;
(iv) Records describing incidents involving violent acts or threats, even if the
incident did not involve an injury or a criminal act (Records of events involving
abuse, verbal attacks, or aggressive behaviour can help identify patterns and
risks that are not evident from the smaller set of cases that actually result in
injury or crime);
(v) Documentation of minutes of safety meetings, records of hazard / risk analyses
and corrective actions recommended and taken;
(vi) Records of all training programs, including subjects covered, attendees, and
qualifications of trainers; and
(vii) Inspection records, which should include dates of inspection, areas inspected, all
finding and recommendations, any control measures implemented, etc.

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5. References
•
United Arab Emirates. Ministerial Order No. 28/1 of 1981, Concerning Model
Disciplinary Code to Guide Employers in Making Disciplinary Regulations Applied to
their Undertakings. Ministry of Labour.
•
Government of Western Australia Department of Commerce, Code of Practice -
Violence,
aggression
and
bullying
at
work.2010.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe/pdf/codes_of_practice/Code_violence.
pdf
•
OSHA-Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Late-
Night
Retail
Establishments.
2009.
http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3153.pdf

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6. Document Amendment Record
Version Revision Date Description of Amendment
Page/s Affected
4.0
15 July 2024
System acronym updated from OSHAD-SF
to ADOSH-SF to accurately reflect
document title
Throughout
Change from OSHAD to ADPHC
Change of Logo
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements.
Title of Mechanism 7.0 updated to ADOSH-
SF – Mechanism 7– Occupational Safety
and Health Practitioner and Service
Provider Registration.
OSHAD-SF - Mechanism 8.0 - OSH
Practitioner Registration deleted

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Appendix 1: Sample Workplace Violence Factors and Control Checklist
These sample checklists can help employers identify present or potential workplace violence
problems. Employers should expand, modify and adapt this list to reflect their circumstances
and risk assessment
Section One: The workplace (Each YES answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Are money/valuables kept at the
workplace?
Has violence been an issue in the past?
Are people affected by alcohol and/or drug
abuse?
Are customers likely to be angry or
disgruntled?
Are there any other obvious reasons why
workers or clients may become violent?
Section Two: Workers (Each Yes answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Do staff work alone or at night?
Do staff work unreasonable duties or
workload?
Do inexperienced staff deal with
customers?
Section Three: Identify, Assess and Control (Each NO answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Are all workplace violence reports analyzed?
Are potentially violent people identified?
Are risk factors for workplace violence
identified?
Have risks of injury or harm been assessed?
Have the required controls (e.g.,
administrative, workplace design,
equipment, etc.) been identified and
provided?
Have they been used successfully?
Is the safety of public/clients considered?
Section Four: Consultation and cooperation (Each NO answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Is there a forum for employees to share
grievances and talk about workplace
concerns (e.g. Workplace violence)?

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Does the safety and health representative
check hazards?
Is there a procedure for reporting incidents?
Are all changes discussed with workers?
Are workers consulted?
Section Five: Violence Prevention (Each NO answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Does your workplace have a violence
prevention program?
Was the plan drawn up in consultation with
workers?
Does the plan cover identification,
assessment and control?
Does the plan cover induction and training?
Is there a security system in the workplace?
Section Six: Violence Response Plan/Program (Each No answer indicates a risk of
violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Does your workplace have a violence
response plan?
Does the plan include first aid and medical
support requirements?
Does the plan include backup from police
and emergency services?
Does the plan include prompt de-briefing
and consulting?
Is an employee assistance service provided?
Is the plan reviewed after each violent
situation?
Section Seven: Training and Information (Each NO answer indicates a risk of violence)
Issue Yes/No Comments
Have staff been provided with relevant
information about workplace violence?
Have staff been trained to recognize and
avoid potential violence, and defuse
violence?
Do staff have interpersonal skills training?
Are there safe procedures for violent
situations?
Do staff understand violence management
procedures?
Are staff trained to report violent incidents?