In the confines of a manufacturing company, the likelihood of violence is probably low to very low, but there are still a number of work-related activities where the risk of violence may be significant. Most of these will be associated with off-site working and/or lone working, including the following:
- sales staff and service engineers working alone in unfamiliar places and with members of the public;
- security staff and others involved in activities, often alone, where they may face intruders on your premises; and
- in fact, almost any activity that involves dealing directly with members of the public has its own particular risks.
HSE recommends the usual stepped approach to managing the risks of violence (see risk assessments). The four stages are:
- finding out if you have a problem;
- deciding what action to take;
- taking action; and
- checking what you have done.
It is important to remember that these four stages are not a one-off set of actions. If stage 4 shows that there is still a problem, then the process should be repeated. Stages 1 and 2 are completed by carrying out a risk assessment.
Stage 1 - Finding out if you have a problem
The first step in any risk assessment is to identify the hazards. You may think violence is not a problem at your workplace or that incidents are rare. However, your employees’ view may be very different.
Ask your staff through managers, supervisors and safety representatives, or use a short questionnaire to find out whether your employees ever feel threatened. Tell them the results of your survey so they realise that you recognise the issue.
Keep detailed records of incidents of verbal abuse and threats. You may find it useful to record the following information:
- an account of what happened;
- details of the victim(s), the assailant(s) and any witnesses;
- the outcome, including working time lost to both the individual(s) affected and to the organisation as a whole; and
- details of the location of the incident.
For a variety of reasons some employees may be reluctant to report incidents of aggressive behaviour which make them feel threatened or worried. They may, for instance, feel that accepting abuse is part of the job. A record of all incidents will enable you to build up a complete picture of the problem.
Encourage employees to report incidents promptly and fully and let them know that this is what you expect. Each incident report should be examined so that, even if it is relatively minor, it can be established whether there could have been a more serious outcome, and how this could be prevented in future.
If you receive numerous reports of incidents of violence, you may find it useful to classify them to help you plan your actions. A simple classification may be based on the injury associated with the incident:
- fatal injury;
- major injury;
- injury or emotional shock requiring first aid, out-patient treatment, counselling, absence from work (record number of days); and
- feeling of being at risk or distressed.
Your classification system should include ‘serious or persistent verbal abuse’ so as to cover all incidents that worry staff. You can use the details from your incident records along with the categories to check for patterns. Look for common causes, areas or times. The steps you take can then be targeted where they are needed most.
Try to predict what might happen. Do not restrict your assessment to incidents which have already affected your own employees. There may be a known pattern of violence linked to certain work situations.
Trade and professional organisations and trade unions may be able to provide useful information. Articles in the local, national and technical press might also alert you to relevant incidents and potential problem areas.
Stage 2 - Deciding what action to take
If you have found that violence could be a problem for your employees, continue the risk assessment by taking the following steps to help you decide what action you need to take:
- Decide who might be harmed, and how — identify which employees are at risk. Those who have face-to-face contact with the public are normally the most vulnerable. Where appropriate, identify potentially violent people in advance (from information from other sources etc.) so that the risks from them can be minimised.
- Evaluate the risk — check existing arrangements. Are the precautions already in place adequate or should more be done? Remember, it is usually a combination of factors that give rise to violence.
Factors which you can influence include:
The level of training and information provided
Train your employees so that they can spot the early signs of aggression and either avoid it or cope with it. Make sure they fully understand any system you have set up for their protection. Provide employees with any information they might need to identify clients with a history of violence or to anticipate factors which might make violence more likely.
The environment
Provide better seating, decor, lighting in public waiting rooms and more regular information about delays. Consider physical security measures such as:
- video cameras or alarm systems;
- coded security locks on doors to keep the public out of staff areas;
- wider counters and raised floors on the staff side of the counter to give staff more protection; and
- if you think you may face abusive and aggressive customers on site and you provide meeting or interview rooms, then you will need to consider how these rooms are laid out, and the types of furnishings used to minimise the risk of an incident occurring. Further advice is available in HSE's Violence at Work INDG69 and possibly Working Alone in Safety INDG73.
The design of the job
Consider the activities and situations where violence is more likely, for example:
- where practicable use cheques, credit cards or tokens instead of cash to make robbery less attractive;
- bank money more frequently and vary the route taken to reduce the risk of robbery;
- check the credentials of clients, and the place and arrangements for any meetings away from the workplace;
- arrange for staff to be accompanied by a colleague if they have to meet a suspected aggressor at their home or at a remote location;
- make arrangements for employees who work away from their base to keep in touch; and
- maintain numbers of staff at the workplace to avoid people having to work alone.
The threat of violence does not stop when the work period has ended. It is good practice to make sure that employees at risk of violence can get home safely. For example, where employees are required to work late, you can help by arranging transport home or by ensuring a safe parking area is available.
Employees are likely to be more committed to the measures if they help to design them and put them into practice. A mix of measures often works best. Concentrating on just one aspect of the problem can sometimes make things worse in another. Try to take an overall view and balance the risks to your employees against any possible reaction of the public.
Remember that an atmosphere that suggests employees are worried about violence can sometimes increase its likelihood.
As with all risk assessments, record the significant findings of your assessment and use it as a working document for both managers and employees.
Regularly check that your assessment is a true reflection of your current work situation. Be prepared to add further measures or change existing measures where these are not working. This is particularly important where the job changes. If a violent incident occurs, review your assessment, and make any necessary changes.
Stage 3 - Taking action
Your policy for dealing with violence should be written into your health and safety policy statement, so that all employees are aware of it. This will help your employees to co-operate with you, follow procedures properly and report any further incidents.
Stage 4 - Checking what you have done
Check on a regular basis how well your arrangements are working, consulting employees or their representatives as you do so. Consider setting up joint management and safety representative committees to do this.
Keep records of incidents and examine them regularly; they will show what progress you are making and if the problem is changing. If your measures are working well, keep them up. If violence is still a problem, try something else. Go back to Stages 1 and 2 and identify other preventive measures that could work.