Protect yourself and other employees from the risks of violence in the workplace
Overview
This standard is about protecting yourself and other employees from the risks of violence in the workplace. It includes undertaking a dynamic risk assessment and defusing a potentially dangerous situation by minimising actions or words that may trigger violent behaviour and by showing respect and understanding for people, their property and rights. It is about responding to a situation, trying to calm it down and, when necessary, or appropriate, leaving a threatening situation safely. It is also about reviewing the incident for recording and monitoring purposes and making necessary changes as a result of the review.
This standard is for anyone who finds themselves in a situation at work where they need to protect themselves and other employees from the risks of violence.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- conduct a dynamic risk assessment of your workplace
- assess the levels of threat by stepping back from the situation
- analyse the environment where the incident is taking place or likely to take place
- note any potential objects that could be used as a threat of violence or a weapon
- identify all people, including yourself, affected by violence
- identify the range of options and safest actions to take during violent or dangerous situations
- carry on monitoring the situation and be prepared to re-assess the threats
- consider alternative options if the levels of threat change
- assist in defusing a potentially violent situation
- maintain a safe distance and display professional attitude towards unacceptable behaviour
- communicate with those presenting unacceptable behaviour respecting them, their property and their rights
- keep the situation under review and minimise the risks to the safety of all those affected by the incident
- take actions to control the situation and avoid its escalation
- request assistance to minimise the risks of injury to yourself and other employees
- discontinue contacts with those presenting unacceptable or violent behaviour
- leave the situation if the threat to your and other employees’ safety cannot be managed
- explain actions to take for yourself and other employees involved
- explain the likely consequences if the present situation continues or gets worse
- review the sequence of events leading up to the incident
- discuss with relevant employees whether organisational procedures helped or hindered the incident
- complete records of incident in accordance with organisational requirements
- summarise yours and other employees’ actions at the time of the incident
- describe circumstances and severity of the incident and the measures taken to protect yourself and other employees
- assess the organisation’s and your own risks relevant to your and other employees’ job roles and activities
- assess your adequacy for dealing with similar incidents
- make recommendations to the relevant employees for reducing the risks of further similar incidents
- identify areas where you and others would benefit from training
- contribute to good practice by sharing relevant non confidential information with other employees to reduce incidents of violence
- use support and advice to help prevent any incidents-related health problems
- follow legal responsibilities, rules of social media and your organisation’s policy and procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- your own and other employees’ legal duties for ensuring well-being, safety and health in the workplace
- the procedures for safeguarding confidentiality in accordance with data protection regulation
- your legal duties for ensuring your and other employees’ well-being, safety and health in the workplace
- the relevant procedures for reporting injuries, diseases, near misses and dangerous occurrences
- the process of dynamic risk assessment of a potentially violent situation
- the environment where the incidents may take place
- the potentially dangerous objects that could be used for threats of violence or as a weapon
- the safety options and actions during dangerous and violent situations
- how to identify the levels of threat to yourself and other employees
- your own and other employees’ job roles and responsibilities
- your own and other employees’ capabilities and limitations in terms of protecting yourselves in potentially violent situations
- when it is appropriate and possible to maintain a safe distance and avoid physical contact
- the importance of showing respect for people, their property and rights
- how to avoid discriminatory or oppressive behaviours and language
- how to interpret non-verbal language and the importance of acknowledging other people’s personal space
- the importance of remaining alert to triggers of violent behaviour
- the importance of planning how you and other employees should leave a situation
- the signs that a situation could escalate to violent behaviour and how to recognise these
- the types of action to take to calm down dangerous or violent situations
- the circumstances when to leave the scene of the incident and seek help
- the safety techniques for leaving dangerous or violent situation
- the nearest exit routes when at risk of physical violence
- the importance of logging off if at risk of threats in a virtual environment
- your organisation’s procedures for dealing with violent and dangerous behaviours
- the procedures to follow where you or other employees are unable to calm down the situation
- the importance of having the opportunity to talk to someone about the incident after it happened
- the reports and the records about a potential or actual incident of violence
- the methods of communication during dangerous or violent situations
- the relevant legislation for health and safety at work
- the rules and etiquette of social media and online methods of communication
- the legal responsibilities and your organisation’s policy and procedures
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
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‟.
Links To Other NOS
External Links
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