Workplace harassment and violence prevention assessments

Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP) assessments are mandatory for all Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) workplaces. The goal is to assess a workplace for hazards that risk exposing personnel to workplace harassment and violence and then to mitigate those risks in the aid of preventing occurrences. The WHVP assessment should form part of a workplace's Hazard Prevention Program.

The applicable Workplace Health and Safety Committee (WHSC) or Health and Safety Representative or CAF Safety Committee (CAFSC), and a Chain of Command (CoC)/manager representative, must collaboratively complete an assessment of harassment and violence risk factors within their workplaces. Together, they must review the assessment once every three years and recommend modifying preventive measures as required. In addition, the assessment must be reviewed whenever:

• there are changes to the risk factors within the organization that may warrant a reassessment;
• an occurrence is not resolved through the negotiated resolution process and the principal party decides to end the resolution process;
• the responding party is not a member of the Defense Team;
• a Notice of Occurrence was submitted anonymously;
• a WHVP investigation recommends changes.

For more information on what these assessments entail, please consult the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Assessment Guide (accessible only via the DWAN).

Note: CoC/manager representatives should have decision making authority in financial, operational, personnel, and policy matters.