Work-related Violence

Work-related violence, including physical assault, threats and verbal abuse, is of increasing concern to employers and employees alike. According to the British Crime Survey there were around 849,000 incidents of violence at work in England and Wales in 2002/2003. This can affect mental as well as physical health, and has a high cost for business through sickness absence, staff turnover, higher insurance premiums and compensation payments. Smaller companies can be particularly badly affected because of lower profit margins.

Exposure to violence at work depends not only on an individual's occupation but also on the circumstances under which they perform their duties, for example working alone. Some occupations are more at risk than others, although the incidence of violence is increasingly common in many workplaces. There are, however, many measures available to reduce the risks to employees.

HSL can help you tackle the problems of work-related violence by:

• Advising on good practice and policy;
• Helping organisations assess the risks of violence;
• Investigating the effectiveness and costs of different measures to minimise the risks;
• Designing, facilitating and evaluating training.

Why use HSL?
• We have practical experience of applying a wide range of methodologies to investigate work-related violence. These include case studies, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups;
• We have experience of looking at work-related issues within a broad range of industries, including the health care sector, public transport and small businesses;
• We can draw on the knowledge and skills of a wide variety of health and safety professionals - for example, occupational and health psychologists, risk assessment specialists, ergonomists, occupational physicians and nurses, and biomedical scientists;
• Our expertise in violence-related problems is underpinned by a wide research base in all aspects of work psychology and risk assessment;
• We can tailor our support to meet the particular needs of your organisation.

Recent projects
• Development of a set of good practice case studies that demonstrate how different organisations prevent and manage risk of violence to lone and mobile workers;
• Review of training provided on work-related violence in a public transport service organisation;
• Investigation of work-related violence in small businesses;
• Review of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) guidance on violence at work;
• We have also provided substantial support to HSE on their work-related stress programme which encompasses work-related violence.

  Case Study - Work-related Violence: Taxi Drivers

Remember
Taking simple steps to tackle work-related violence can help reduce the risks and improve efficiency and profitability. There are many ways of tackling the problem, and effective measures do not have to be expensive.

Further Details
Contact our Business Development Unit by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk.

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