Violence & Aggression in the Workplace
Introduction – The Size of the Problem
The Health and Safety Executive released in February 2014 a new set of statistics on violence in the workplace. The good news being that the number of violent incidents at work has in fact declined over the past decade with the incident rate remaining stable over the last four years. This does not mean that employers should be complacent about the problem. The most recent figures are based on findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show that in 2012/13:
the risk of being a victim of actual or threatened violence at work in 2012/13 was similar to the last few years, with an estimated 1.4% of working adults the victims of one or more violent incidents at work;
a total of 323,000 adults of working age in employment experienced work-related violence including threats and physical assault;
there were an estimated 649,000 incidents of violence at work, comprising 332,000 assaults and 317,000 threats (compared with an estimated 643,000 incidents in 2011/12);
some 1.2% of women and 1.6% of men were victims of violence at work during the year prior to the survey;
it is estimated that 60% of victims reported one incident of work-related violence while 16% experienced two incidents of work-related violence and 24% experienced three or more incidents;
the perpetrators were unknown to the employees in 60% of cases of workplace violence;
among incidents where the perpetrator was known, they were most likely to be clients or a member of the public known through work;
victims of actual or threatened violence at work said that the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol in 38% of incidents, and under the influence of drugs in 26% of incidents;
51% of assaults at work resulted in injury, with minor bruising or a black eye accounting for the majority of the injuries recorded;
Work-related violence is costly in both human and financial terms. There are the direct financial costs associated with absence, replacing staff and lower productivity. There are also indirect costs, such as investigating and resolving workplace incidents, and the knock-on effects on staff turnover, morale and motivation. Victims of violence and aggression often suffer immediate effects of pain or distress, however for many, the longer term impact on their health and psychological well-being, e.g. stress and loss of confidence, can be damaging and it likely to affect their personal life as well.
What is violence and aggression?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related violence as: any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.
Violence and aggression can include a wide range of unacceptable behaviours, including:
physical violence, e.g. hitting, throwing objects at people through to spitting or biting;
verbal abuse or threats;
damage to personal property;
Acts of violence or aggression can range from minor cases such as disrespect, to far more serious acts that may constitute criminal offences requiring the involvement of the police.
Incidents of work-related violence can occur internally between colleagues and/or their managers or may involve third parties, such as clients, customers, residents, pupils, etc. The people most at risk are those who have to deal regularly with the public.
What does the law require employers to do?
Employers have legal duties to protect their employees from violence and aggression.
The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 requires employers to protect, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees and non-employees e.g. clients, customers, residents, patients as well as agency workers and contractors.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and control all the risks associated with their work activities. Employers need to develop and implement a clear management policy and plan to achieve this.
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), employers must report any acts of work-related violence that fall under the definition of notifiable accidents, including fatalities, serious injuries and incidents where the victim is unable to work
normally for more than seven days.
Employers must also consult their employees and safety representatives about health and safety risks and the control measures they implement.
What steps must an employer take?
The risks from violence and aggression should be managed in the same way as other health and safety risks by identifying the risks and putting in place measures to prevent or control those risks. A simple, four-stage management approach is set out below.
Stage one: find out if you have a problem
The best method for identifying any risk is to ask your employees. You could do this informally or use a short questionnaire. Keeping detailed records will help you build up a picture of the problems you may have, although you may have to encourage employees to report incidents promptly. Classifying the incidents by place, time, type, those involved and causes will help identify any potential problem areas or themes.
Also try to consider what might happen, by finding out more about the risk of violence in similar organisations to your own and what your own professional associations publish.
Stage two: decide what action to take
If there is a potential for violence or aggression, then you need to assess the risks and decide how to control them.
There are always a number of simple and cheap solutions to help manage the risks in your organisation.
Some practical solutions to consider are:
training and information for staff, e.g. explaining your policy on work-related violence, training on how to recognise volatile situations
improving the layout of your premises, e.g. making sure there is clear visibility or improved lighting in reception and car park areas
planning job roles carefully, e.g. avoiding lone working
communication systems especially for lone workers so that they can alert others that they need assistance e.g. panic buttons or regular calling-in procedures
Stage three: take action
Implement the control measures necessary to manage the risks through the use of an action plan. Check with employees that the changes are properly understood and are being adhered to.
Stage four: monitor and review
You need to regularly check that your control measures are working effectively and the risks are being managed. In smaller organisations these checks can be informal but managers and supervisors should involve employees and use their experience. Monitor the number of incidents and learn from each new case.
Violence and aggression policy and procedures
Managing violence and aggression can be incorporated into existing policies or systems. Alternatively to raise the profile of the issue you can develop a specific work-related violence policy that:
demonstrates a commitment to tackle work-related violence
clarifies roles and responsibilities
raises awareness of related issues amongst the workforce
sets standards for acceptable workplace behaviour
ensures consistency and fairness in how incidents are managed
Giving a specific named senior manager or director overall responsibility and control of the policy helps demonstrate commitment that work-related violence is taken really seriously. In smaller organisations, policies may be more informal, but employees should still be aware of what behaviour is considered unacceptable and what they should do if they encounter these behaviours.
Your written policy should be backed up with specific procedures or processes for tackling work-related violence. When reviewing your health & safety management policy and system, consider whether the following are all in place:
detailed and well-communicated emergency procedures
risk assessments covering work-related violence
procedures for reporting and investigating incidents of violence and aggression
clear responsibilities for RIDDOR reporting
good communications with employees about workplace risks
adequate consultation with staff especially if you have a safety committee
drug and alcohol procedures
effective grievance and disciplinary procedures
If your employees handle cash or products, you may need to make it clear that they should not resist if threatened. If there is an attempted theft, with a threat of real or perceived violence, the safest course of action is not to offer any resistance and to comply with the aggressors demands. This should be made clear to employees.
Summary
Violence and aggression at work is a serious problem that affects many people. Tackling it does not need to be very different from how you manage other risks. The key is to talk with and involve employees in establishing the real extent of the problem and getting them to help identify additional, suitable control measures that would help to practically reduce risk.
We would be pleased to advise you on any element of the issues arising from this newsletter.
