In November 2023, a worker at a London, Ontario bar was asked to do something that happens in venues every weekend: tell a customer it was time to leave.
Of course, that is sometimes when situations can sometimes turn ugly.
According to an Ontario court bulletin, while the host was speaking with the patron, the customer mimicked striking them. Moments later, the patron’s companion actually hit the worker, knocking both of them to the floor. As the worker tried to stand, they were struck again. The worker later called 911 and used a social media messaging app to notify the floor manager before being taken to hospital with an injury.
Richmond Street Warehouse Restaurant Ltd., operating as El Furniture Warehouse, has now been fined $55,000 for failing to develop, maintain, and implement a workplace violence program that met Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, including having measures for “summoning immediate assistance.”
This case isn’t just about one incident. It’s about a gap every busy venue needs to take seriously:
When something goes wrong, how fast can your staff ask for help?
The Ministry’s investigation found several issues at the venue:
On the night of the assault, the worker did everything they could with what they had. They called 911, and they contacted their manager via social media on their personal phone.
But think about that for a second. In the middle of a violent incident, an injured worker had to unlock their phone, open an app, find the right chat, and type or voice a message, all after being assaulted.
From a safety perspective, that’s far too much friction in a moment where seconds matter.
Patronscan is best known for ID scanning and fake ID detection, and in a lot of cases, that’s the first and most visible layer of safety. But even when no IDs are being scanned, the technology can still play a critical role in protecting staff inside the venue.
This is because Patronscan devices are already at the front door, in the host stand, or on handhelds used around the floor. It becomes a powerful tool for internal communication and emergency signaling, not just ID checks.
Configured correctly, a Patronscan deployment can support things like:
So instead of: “I was hit. Now I’ll find my phone, unlock it, open an app, find my manager, and hope they see the message…”
You get: “I tap one button on the device already in front of me — and my team knows I need help now.”
This is the difference between ad hoc communication and a designed safety workflow.
The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act is very explicit:
Employers must have a workplace violence policy and program, including “measures and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs.”
In plain terms, that means:
Technology alone doesn’t satisfy the law. But the right technology can make it much easier to live up to it.
Let’s imagine a different version of that night:
The key part here is that this can happen even when no ID is being scanned.
The same platform that checks IDs at the door can also be a quiet, always-available support line for your staff in difficult moments.
The London case is a wake-up call not just about fines, but about duty of care:
At Patronscan, we care deeply about who enters a venue, but we care just as much about what happens inside once they’re in.
Incidents like this are exactly why we design our platform to support stronger workplace violence procedures, faster internal communication when something goes wrong, and safer environments for staff and guests alike.
Our hope is that fewer headlines will be written about workers getting hurt and companies being fined, not because incidents never happen, but because when they do, venues are prepared, connected, and able to respond in seconds, not minutes.
If you’d like to talk about how your existing or future Patronscan setup could also support staff safety and internal communication, not just ID scanning, our team is here to help.