Identify, assess and review the risks of violence in the workplace

This standard is about identifying, assessing and reviewing the risks of violence in the workplace. It includes the skills and knowledge required for identifying triggers of violence, assessing the level of risks, planning and recommending actions to help reduce these risks.

This standard is for anyone who needs to deal with risks of violence in the workplace.

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1. review the full range of job roles and responsibilities of employees within your area of work and whole organisation
2. identify risks relating to your employees’ working environments and their factors
3. identify and record factors that may cause violence to occur in the workplace
4. collate the job roles that are most at risk
5. identify the risks presented to all employees and the triggers of violence they may face
6. assess the risks represented through the use of social media
7. record the results of your research in accordance with legal requirements and good practice
8. establish employees’ levels of awareness and concerns about their personal safety at work and well-being
9. conduct a generic and dynamic risk assessment
10. identify the triggers of violence and their levels of risks
11. record the risks and the reasons in priority order starting with those where your workers face the most serious harm
12. prepare a risk management plan with details of the working environment, employees and other service-users
13. identify and arrange any training requirements upon request
14. make recommendations for controls and safe working practices to reduce risks of violence
15. collate up-to-date with information relating to health and safety and the prevention of violence in the workplace
16. create opportunities for all employees to provide feedback on the contents of the risk assessment consultation
17. consult with employees to identify any increased risks of violence and changes required
18. identify the changes that may affect the levels of risk of violence to employees
19. amend your assessment to reflect these details
20. record any changes required to improve the safety of your employees
21. define the timescales for the implementation of the changes
22. identify any legal, environmental or professional changes which may affect current working practices
23. gain the approval from employees affected by the outcomes of the review
24. monitor the effectiveness of the revised working practices and your assessment of risks
25. communicate the most up to date assessment on health and safety and the prevention of violence in the workplace

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1. the procedures for safeguarding confidentiality in accordance with data protection regulation
2. your legal duties for ensuring your and other employees’ well-being, safety and health in the workplace
3. the channels of communication within your organisation
4. the relevant procedures for reporting injuries, diseases, near misses and dangerous occurrences
5. the duties of all employees including those at most risk of aggression and violence
6. the principles and types of risk assessment
7. the possible implications of working environments on their employees’ health and safety
8. how to classify triggers of violence in accordance with job roles and working environments
9. the impact of social media on employees
10. how to carry out research into the employees’ concerns about violence at work
11. the sources of expert advice and guidance on the prevention and managing work-related violence
12. the resources and training required for employees
13. the implications of change and the effects on your employees
14. the importance of consulting with employees about the risks of violence at work
15. the importance of keeping yourself up-to-date with relevant information about managing the workplace violence
16. the importance of keeping clear and accurate records
17. who to notify of any required changes in working practices
18. the scope for making changes in job responsibilities and the environment in which they operate
19. the relevant measures which can be put in place to eliminate triggers of violence and reduce risk to employees
20. the relevant legislation for health and safety at work
21. the rules and etiquette of social media and online methods of communication
22. the legal responsibilities and your organisation’s policy and procedures

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Aggressive behaviour
Any behaviour or actions aimed at harming a person or damaging physical property.

Aggressive communication
A style of communication in which individuals express their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that violates the rights of others.

Conflict
A state of opposition and disagreement between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterised by verbal abuse, threatening behaviour or physical violence.

Conflict Management
The practice of identifying and handling conflict in a sensible, fair, and efficient manner. Conflict management requires such skills as effective communicating, problem solving, and negotiating with a focus on common interests and safeguarding all concerned.

Dynamic Risk Assessment
This is a continuous assessment of the risks faced in a situation as it unfolds to ensure the safest and most effective response is being employed.

Equipment
These could include equipment such as pagers, mobile phones, walkie-talkies, panic buttons, public address systems, etc.

Evaluation
The process of determining whether an item or activity meets specified criteria.
It can include comparing the adequacy of policies and procedures with current practice or professional standards to manage work-related violence.

Generic Risk Assessment
It is:

• an examination of the work and workplace activities to identify what could cause harm to people (a hazard); and
• an assessment of the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by the hazards identified, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be (the risk).

On the basis of this assessment a decision is made as to what prevention or control measures should be taken to prevent the possibility of harm.

Physical Intervention
This should include personal safety techniques to reduce the impact of hazardous behaviours, protective stances, disengagement and breakaway techniques” (when responding to physically threatening behaviours or defending oneself or another) or “restraint techniques” (when physically restricting a person’s movement).

Positive Working Environment and Culture
A working environment and culture which does not tolerate any violent behaviour.

Procedures
A series of steps following in a regular definite order that implements a policy.

Precautionary Measures
These could include: protective barriers, protective clothing, security responses, working in pairs or teams instead of lone working, etc.

Responsible Person
A person named in the organisation’s procedures as having responsibility for incidents of violence at work.

Risk
A risk is the likelihood of potential harm from that hazard being realised.
The extent of the risk depends on:

• the likelihood of that harm occurring;
• the potential severity of that harm, i.e. of any resultant injury or adverse health effect; and
• the population which might be affected by the hazard, i.e. the number of people who might be exposed.

Source: HSE “Management of health and safety at work –Approved Code of Practice & Guidance”.

Safe Working Practices
Established safe methods of carrying out activities, procedures or techniques used in carrying out your job or work activities to deliver a service with levels of quality and efficiency required by the organisation.

Service Users
Examples are: school students, patients, clients, passengers, customers, detainees, the public, parents, volunteers and carers.

Triggers of Violence
Factors that might cause violence to occur. They can be categorised in four different types:

• temporary personal factors for example, the service-user being uncomfortable from a lack of food, warmth, light, or presenting challenging behaviour whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, or
• persistent personal factors such as deteriorating mental health, having a difficulty or disability, which prevents normal communication, movement or behaviour, or
• temporary environmental factors such as a hot, noisy, crowded room, poor work dynamics in terms of furniture layout, etc., or
• persistent environmental factors such as too much being expected of the service-user, or the quality of the service offered consistently failing to meet the required standards of the user.

Work-related Violence
The Health and Safety Executive’s definition of work-related violence is: “Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work‟.

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ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/
Equality and Human Rights Commission http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Institute of Conflict Management https://instituteofconflict.management/
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk/
Victim Support www.victimsupport.org

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1

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2030

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Current

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Original

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Instructus

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CFAPMVW2

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Managers and Senior Officials, Personnel, Training and Industrial Relations Managers , Trade Union Representatives and Professionals, Personnel and industrial relations officers

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1135

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Prevention; Management; Violence; Workplace; Identify; Assess; Review; Risk; Workers

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