Workplace Violence Prevention Policy Statement
North Collins Central School District is committed to the safety and security of our employees.
Workplace Violence is defined as any physical assault or act of aggressive behavior occurring where a public employee performs any work-related duty in the course of their employment. Workplace violence includes but is not limited to:
- Any verbal or physical attempt or threat to inflict physical injury upon an employee.
- Any intentional display of force which gives an employee reason to fear or expect bodily harm.
- Any intentional, wrongful and non-consensual physical contact with a person that causes injury.
- Stalking an employee to cause fear of harm to an employee’s physical safety and health.
Acts of violence against North Collins Central School District employees where any work-related duty is performed will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action will be taken. All employees are responsible: for creating an environment of mutual respect for each other as well as clients; following all workplace policies, procedures and practices; and for assisting in maintaining a safe and secure work environment.
Our workplace violence prevention policy is designed to meet the requirements of NYS Labor Law 27b and highlights some of the elements that are found within our Workplace Violence Prevention Program. The workplace violence prevention law and regulation specify that employers must provide for employee participation in the workplace violence prevention program through an authorized employee representative. Authorized Employee Representative(s) have a right to, at minimum, be involved in:
- evaluating the physical workplace environment to determine workplace violence risk factors;
- developing the Workplace Violence Prevention Program and;
- reviewing workplace violence incident reports at least once a year to identify trends in the types of incidents reported, if any, and evaluate the effectiveness of safeguards and actions taken to reduce the risk of workplace violence.
All employees will participate in the Workplace Violence Prevention Training Program when they are first assigned to our workplace and once a year after that.
The goal of this policy is to promote the safety and well-being of all people in our workplace. All incidents of violence or threatening behavior will be responded to immediately upon notification. All personnel are responsible for notifying the contact person designated below of any violent incidents or threatening behavior, including threats they have witnessed, received, or have been told about by another person.
Designated District Contact Person:
Name: Scott Taylor
Title: Superintendent
Department: District Office
Phone: 716-337-0101
Location: District Office
Reporting
An effective reporting system: (1) protects NCCSD employees from harm in the workplace; (2) assists management in its effort to maintain a safe and productive work environment; and (3) ensures management the opportunity to investigate and determine the cause(s) and make recommendations to minimize recurrence. All workplace violence incident reports must be in writing.
Any employee who witnesses or encounters any act of violence should do the following:
- Call 911, when imminent danger is present, as appropriate.
- Immediately notify their Administrator/Supervisor, as appropriate.
- Complete and submit the “Workplace Violence Incident Report” available online and in the main/front office of each building. The NCCSD will then take necessary action. Any employee who believes that an imminent danger exists should bring the matter to their Administrator/Supervisor’s immediate attention.
Administrator/Supervisors should approach such situations with caution, balancing the need to maintain an orderly workplace with personal safety. Following notification, NCCSD management will be given reasonable time to take corrective action. If no such action has been taken, the employee or their representative may inform the Commissioner of Labor of the danger and request that an inspection be conducted. Such a request must be in writing and include, with a reasonable level of specificity, the grounds of the notice.
The NCCSD is prohibited by law from taking any retaliatory action against any employee who: (1) has made ICSD management aware of what the employee deems to be an imminent danger; (2) has requested that the Commissioner of Labor conduct an inspection; or (3) accompanies the Commissioner during an inspection of the ICSD, pursuant to §27-b.6 of Article 2 of the State Labor Law.
12 NYCRR Part 800.6(g)(2)(viii) Note: Nothing in this part shall require the disclosure of information otherwise kept confidential for security reasons. Such information may include information, which, if disclosed would:
- Interfere with law enforcement investigations or judicial proceedings;
- Deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or impartial adjudication;
- Identify a confidential source or disclose confidential information relating to a criminal investigation;
- Reveal criminal investigative techniques or procedures, except routine techniques and procedures; or
- Endanger the life or safety of any person.