Can we eliminate all risk(s) associated with workplace violence and aggression?
During the past year workplace violence continues to be a significant issue for employees across the UK with:
- Thousands of retail workers reporting incidents of violence and abuse.
- 32 ambulance staff being abused or attacked daily
- Civil enforcement officers facing increased challenges
Workplace violence, is defined as ‘any incident where a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work.’
This includes verbal abuse and threats, which, while more common than physical attacks, can result in serious injury, long-term ill health.
Effective risk management in the workplace involves a thorough assessment of all potential harm arising from such violence, including the indirect stress experienced by those not directly involved.
Employers have a ‘must-do’ responsibility for ensuring robust arrangements are in place to manage workplace health, safety, and welfare.
To effectively manage these risks, it is crucial to follow a structured approach known as the hierarchy of risk control.
This involves several practical steps to ensure that the risks of work-related violence are either eliminated or controlled through appropriate preventative measures.
Hierarchy of risk control
Elimination is the most effective form of risk control, aiming to remove the hazard completely which involves reviewing:
- Policy implementation
- Environmental design
- Remote working options
When elimination is not possible, substitution seeks to replace the hazard with something less dangerous:
- Alternative communication methods
- Workplace re-assignment:
Engineering controls which focus on practical steps to isolate people from the hazard:
- Security measures
- Alarm systems
Controls measures changing the way people work to reduce risks:
- Training programmes
- Reporting systems
- Shift patterns and rotations
Personal protective equipment to be used when other controls are not sufficient or effective:
- Protective Barriers
- Communication Devices
Implementing these control measures is only part of the process, employers must ensure their effectiveness through:
- Regular monitoring
- Analysing incidents
- Providing employee feedback
- Updating policies and procedures
- Continuous improvement
The general principle of risk is set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 which requires the controlling of risks at the source.
By systematically eliminating hazards where possible and implementing engineering and administrative controls employers can create a safer work environment.
Employers must take these responsibilities seriously to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of their staff across the workforce.
Back to the question – Is Eliminating All Risk a Reality or an Aspiration?
Eliminating workplace violence and aggression is largely an aspiration, albeit a crucial one.
Due in significant part to many varied complexities of human behaviour and the dynamics of interpersonal skills it may be unrealistic to completely eradicate all risks.
It is essential for organisations to strive towards this goal.
Implementing comprehensive policies, providing training on conflict resolution, risk assessments and fostering a supportive work environment can significantly reduce incidents and create a safer, more productive workplace.
While total elimination may be aspirational, substantial progress is both achievable and necessary!
Why does all this matter?
In recent years, penalties for health and safety breaches in the UK have steadily risen with the highest H&S fines being over £1 million, so can you imagine what a fine like that would do to your business and your life?
If you are investigated and found to be in breach of health and safety law, you must also pay for the time it takes the Health & Safety Executive investigation, £160+ per hour and (if found guilty) for your own prosecution!
You can delegate the task of a risk assessment, but as the business owner, you remain ultimately responsible for it. Meaning the person, you delegate to needs to understand your business and all the hazards and risks involved which you will have to spend your time explaining everything to them.
That’s why (for small businesses, including training providers and martial arts clubs, etc) you are better off investing the time in getting trained to do this yourself (and it doesn’t take long)!
The good news is you don’t need any specific training or qualifications to carry out a risk assessment, however, you must be a competent person, which is someone with the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to manage health and safety.
Our Level 3 Risk Assessment course will take you through a structured process of learning and development towards producing risk assessments.
There is also a section on ‘Risk Assessing Violence in The Workplace’ so if you work in an industry where there is risk of staff being exposed to violence you will know how to assess the risks to a competent standard (no other risk assessment course does that)!
What does our Level 3 Risk Assessment course cover?
Our course will take you through everything you need to know and do to produce risk assessments.
We will issue you with a Level 3 Risk Assessor Certificate of Competence which is your evidence that you are competent to do risk assessments because you have gone through a structured process of learning and development.
And don’t worry if your final assessment doesn’t pass first time. We’ll give you feedback and will continue to do so until you do pass because we are one hundred percent committed to you passing this course.
This course is different from many other risk assessment courses you will do, because most risk assessment courses focus purely on large manufacturing industry sectors, but not this one.
During this course we take you through the Manual Handling Regulations and how they apply to physical techniques so if you teach physical restraint (also known as PMVA / MVA / Positive Handling, etc) you can produce a risk assessment around your physical skills, which will also set you apart from your competitors.
There is also a section on ‘Risk Assessing Violence in The Workplace’ so if you work in an industry where there is risk of staff being exposed to violence you will know how to conduct risk assessments to a competent standard (no other risk assessment course does that).
Who is Trevel Henry – Director, NFPS Limited
Since 1994, Trevel has been a training consultant in the prevention and management of abusive, disruptive, aggressive and violent behaviour.
As an expert witness, Trevel provides advice and support on the use of force and physical intervention including the use of personal protective equipment.
He has worked on numerous case incidents within the police and prison services, Security Industry Authority, Home Office, Young Offenders Secure Institutions, Independent Police Complaints Commission, health services and social care.
During his time with Kent Police, he was a member of the Police National Practitioners Group for Personal Safety Training where he gained significant expertise in legislation, policies, risk management and assessment, training design, post incident management and welfare review of work-related aggressive and violent incidents.
As a member of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) expert group, he reviews qualifications for the management of work-related violence and aggression. He also provides guidance to NHS Trusts on policies, procedures and working practices.
He consults and trains across all work sectors on reducing the need for restraint and restrictive interventions.
Achievements:
Legal: Trevel has worked on high profile restraint related death cases, as well as cases of abuse allegation and compliance failures within care settings.
Training: He has delivered training, presentations and talks to operational and support staff across the UK, Europe, South Africa, Canada, USA and the Caribbean.
Report: Trevel was co-author of the report ‘Occurrence of Injury During Officer Safety Training at Kent Police’.
Media: He has appeared as an expert spokesperson across TV and radio discussing the subject of reasonable force and the physiological and psychological effects of fear and stress.
Improving safety – empowering people – enhancing services
Contact us here to learn more – https://nfps.info/contact-nfps/