Successfully tackling workplace violence

Bill Fox of conflict management specialist Maybo Looks at the implications of violence in the workplace and the success factors in violence risk management.

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'.

The majority of violent incidents in the workplace will involve verbal abuse rather than physical attack. According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) more than 3 million working days are lost due to violent incidents at work every year.

A Maybo survey of over 400 conflict management training delegates revealed that 80% had experienced verbal abuse in their working life. Of these 70% had experienced verbal abuse in the past year. Around 33% had experienced a physical assault in their working life, and an incredible 14% had been physically assaulted in the past year.

This snapshot of employees shows that national figures seriously underestimate the problem, although individual companies and organisations that put conflict management policies high on their agenda would achieve a good reporting rate.

Other findings in the survey were that those in their 20s were the most frequent aggressors. Examining factors behind the abuse, alcohol was the biggest single influencing factor, although not far behind was unmet expectations, then drugs and mental health issues.

The Maybo study did include a significant number of ambulance staff. Nearly half of ambulance staff had been physically attacked at some time in their career, although in our sample, only 5% had been assaulted in the last year, possibly because ambulance trusts have introduced strong policies on preventing violence, including training.

Most surveys show that ambulance crews, A and E nurses and those working in therapeutic services are high risk groups. Having to face conflict at work can lead to:

• physical and/or psychiatric injury
• high stress levels
• reduced performance
• poor service delivery
• absenteeism
• staff replacement costs
• compensation payments
• higher insurance contributions

The National Audit Office puts a "conservative estimate" on the cost to the NHS of workplace violence at £173m. (This excludes an allowance for low productivity and staff turnover.).

The NHS is acting on the findings from its own studies by implementing a multi-faceted approach to reducing violence. There is some evidence to show it is working. However in other vulnerable groups such as managers, proprietors and general staff in the service and leisure (pubs, clubs, hotels and catering) industries, in the public sector and in the transport industry there is a less consistent approach.

Managing the risk
Violence is a risk to health and safety and as such falls under the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Management Regulations and RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). This means that an objective risk management approach needs to be taken to endeavour to predict the causatives of violence and to determine a strategy to avoid conflict. Where violence takes place, it must be reported.

Violence is however a complex risk to manage. There are many variables that influence whether conflict will escalate and an assault occur. As a result it can be hard to pinpoint what has led to a reduction of violence. Training is an important and tangible control measure but needs to form part of an integrated strategy if it is to make a sustainable impact.

Such a strategy will consider:

• Risk reduction and conflict avoidance
• Incident management
• Post incident management


Successful strategies identify and tackle the root cause of conflict and risk. In doing so they address areas such as:


• Customer service - Are customers being kept informed? If customers have expectations, are those expectations being met - or explanations given for a failure in service? Are staff positive, knowledgeable and helpful?


If common triggers and flashpoints are identified then service levels can be adjusted to avoid them.


• Design and Layout - it is possible to change the working environment so that staff and customers feel more comfortable - trying to eliminate standing queues and providing information on waiting time is a good example. An intelligent use of lighting and music can also help prevent tempers flaring.
  It has also been discovered that in some environments it is right to erect barriers between staff and customers for security and safety. However, in others, once the barriers have come down, to facilitate face-to-face communication - so have abuse levels.



• Security equipment - CCTV has a dual purpose in that it acts as a deterrent and of course, provides evidence to pursue a prosecution. Access control again has a dual purpose - it lets people know their movements have been monitored into a building and lets them know they may have difficulty leaving the building if the police are called.


It is also important to provide lone workers with the latest technology to alert their employer should they find themselves in difficulties.

Risk assessment
Conventional risk assessment tools do not easily adapt to the context of violence. The approach needed on violence is more complex and dynamic because it involves the unpredictable nature of people. Central is identifying and examining flashpoints and consulting front line staff. The consultation process will help with understanding the problems faced, and it will draw ideas from those doing the job as to how it can be made safer.

Although environmental considerations are important, planned risk assessments for violence tend to start with identifying the risks associated with the role and activity performed.

Maybo encourages employers to consider three levels of violence risk assessment:

• A full generic violence risk assessment covering roles and tasks performed;
• Risk assessment of pre-planned events;
• Individual 'Dynamic Risk Assessment' i.e. unplanned personal assessment of a situation.

There are many roles that carry risk - travel and home visits, delivering bad news, cash handling, confronting trespassers or fare evaders, or giving certain treatments. The risks may be compounded at certain times and locations, or by factors relating to service users or others who may, for example, present challenging behaviour, be influenced by drink or drugs or have a history of crime and/ or violence.

There will be inherent risks associated with activities such as ejecting or detaining an individual and this may necessitate a higher level of training in conflict management and physical intervention techniques.

The risk assessment also needs to acknowledge staff perceptions and fears - not just the tangible facts. It is also easy to underestimate the impact on staff of continuous low-level verbal abuse and intimidation. This can lead to stress-related illness and affect for example, staff working in reception areas or call centres, who may not at first appear to be at risk.

Implementing a policy
When it all goes wrong the first thing a lawyer will ask for is a copy of your policy, procedures and training records. A policy needs to clearly define the responsibilities of both the employer and employees with regard to preventing incidents, responding to incidents and providing support. Key messages from the policy need to be communicated to staff and customers, and mechanisms put in place to ensure that policy and procedure is monitored, updated and implemented. Here again we come back to training, which is proven to be an important part of the organisation's policy on work related violence.

Training and Post Incident Reporting: CLICK HERE



About Maybo
Maybo has been specialising in conflict and violence risk management for the past ten years. It can supply a FREE DIY quick and easy violence at work risk assessment by email. tamara@maybo.com Tel: 01580 881 386