Home > Stress in the Workplace > Violence in the Workplace

Violence in the Workplace

Managing violence at work is a key element in reducing stress levels at work. The Health and Safety Executive defines work-related violence as:

Verbal abuse and threats tend to be the most common types of incident which have been reported, though physical attacks, while comparatively rare, can cause significant stress reactions, as well as serious injury.

The HSE has identified employees who are most likely at risk to workplace violence to be people engaged in the following work activities:

• Giving a service
• Caring for others
• Educating pupils and students
• Handling cash transactions

Incidents involving violence can be unpredictable, but research has shown that there are situations where confrontation and aggression are more likely to occur. Risky environments tend largely to be concentrated in the service sector of business. In particular, the most vulnerable sectors of business include:

• Security, including the police, as well as private security services.
• Health care, particularly the hospitals.
• Public transport, particularly buses and trains.
• Leisure and hospitality, which covers hotel working and the catering industry.
• Retail, which includes all types of shops. 

Organisations have a duty of care to ensure that people are safeguarded from as many risks as is possible. An essential part of this process is to assess the risks involved in carrying out jobs as well as providing training to enable people to understand the environment in which they are working. Eliminating or controlling key risks will assist people to carry out their jobs in a more supportive environment and will help them to begin the process of avoiding and coping with violence in the workplace.
 

For further information on how we can help resolve your violence at work concerns, call us today on 01225 336 569 or Click Here to fill in our online enquiry form.