Violence In The Workplace Presented by Alex Montgomery

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Violence In The WorkplacePresented by Alex
Montgomery
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Statistics

• The British Crime Survey estimates that there
  were just over 1.2 million incidents of violence
  at work in England and Wales in 1997
• 523,000 physical assaults
• 703,000 threats made by members of the public
  against someone while working

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• The latest figures suggest that the steady
• fall in workplace violence since a peak of
• 1.3 million incidents in 1995
• has continued to 2005/06 with an even
• lower number of violent incidents in
• 2004/05.

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• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines
  work-related violence as
• Any incident in which an individual suffers
  verbal abuse.physical abuse or threats in
  circumstances relating to work
• BCS definition of violence in the work place.
• All assaults or threats which occurred while the
  victim was working and were perpetrated by
  members of the public.

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• This can include verbal abuse or threats as well
  as physical attacks.

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• Physical attacks are obviously dangerous, but
  serious or persistent verbal abuse can be a
  significant problem too, as it can cause damage
  to employees health through anxiety and stress

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• The five main areas of health and safety law
  relevant to violence at work are
•         The Health and Safety At Work Act 1974
•         The Management of Health and Safety at
  Work Regulations 1992
•         The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and
  Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
•         Safety Representative and Safety
  Committees Regulations 1977
•         Safety (Consultation with Employees)
  Regulations 1996

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• For most people, packing a toothbrush evokes
  thoughts of vacation
• But what if Packing a toothbrush means this!

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• When dealing with violence is part of your job
  description, what systems are their to protect
  the individual?
• Training!
• Safe Systems of Work! (Built Round Expectations)
• PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
• Assessments
• Feedback
• Reviews

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Dealing with Face to Face Aggression

• Training in dealing with conflict is complex and
  must consider the emotional as well as the
  physical reactions an employee may have when
  encountering aggression

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Training Modules

• Dealing with stress
• Dealing with face to face aggression (the
  concept)
• Dealing with face to face aggression (scenario
  based)
• De-escalation techniques
• The effects of adrenalin (positive and Negative)
• The legal implications
• The medical implications
• Scenario based practices

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Personal Protection

• Some employees as part of their job may be
  expected to deal with violence.
• What systems are employed to protect staff.
• Personal protection training.( one to one)
• Control and Restraint ( as part of a team)
• Tornado Training ( as part of a larger group)

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Personal Protection Equipment

• Shoes
• Leg Guards
• Arm Guards
• Gloves
• Helmet
• Shields
• Suits
• Batons

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Safe Systems Of work

• Reporting Mechanisms
• Assessments
• Reviews
• Protocols
• Expert training and development (NOU)

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Conclusion

• Employees who are well informed, trained by
  qualified personnel and continually assessed and
  supported throughout their employment will be
  able to cope with any given situation they may
  face in their daily jobs.

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Occupations with above average risk of violence
while working.1994/1996/1998 BCS (based on
working adults of working age)

• Average Risk of Assault 1.2
• Security and protective services 11.4
• Nurses 5.0
• Care Workers 2.8
• Public Transport 2.8
• Catering/Hotels 2.6
• Teachers 1.8

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Occupations with above average risk of violence
while working.1994/1996/1998 BCS (based on
working adults of working age)

• Average risk of threats 1.5
• Security and protective services 5.3
• Nurses 3.1
• Care Workers 2.0
• Public Transport 5.6
• Catering/Hotels 2.0
• Teachers 2.0

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• Questions?