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GMB Violence at work 6pp 31/10/02 10:55 Page 1
Tackling
Violence at Work
The GMB, Britain’s General Union, has thousands of members
providing essential services to the public. While this type of
work can be extremely rewarding, any job which requires
contact with the general public brings risks. Workers in these
occupations often face aggressive or violent behaviour. They
may be sworn at, threatened or even attacked.
In addition to this there are a number of laws A risk assessment on 4. Record the measures that are
which relate to violence at work. These include: violence at work will: being taking to prevent violence in
their work place
1. Identify hazards This plan must be written down in
The Health & Safety at This means that an employer should look for
Work Act 1974 organisations of five or more people.
situations arising from work where violence It should be communicated to all staff who
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 might occur. may be at risk.
places a legal duty on employers to ensure, For example jobs which require workers to 5. Review the findings of the
as far as they possibly can, that their deal with members of the public or a job that risk assessment.
employees work in a healthy and safe involves dealing with money. Your employer This should be done periodically, and should
environment and that their welfare is should consult you about this and should take into account any new information or
considered in any work activity. check the accident book. circumstances employers might need to
Under the act an employer has an obligation 2. Find out which employees could be change or improve their policy if necessary.
to ensure any potential risk of violence is harmed, and how this might happen.
eliminated or controlled. Any employee who may have a vulnerable job Safety Representatives
or be placed in a potentially dangerous and Safety Committees
situation should be identified. Regulations 1977
The Management of Health
and Safety at Work 3. Evaluate the risks arising from the
Employers must consult with GMB Safety
Regulations 1999 hazards and decide whether existing
precautions are adequate or what Representatives on all of the above steps.
These Regulations state that employers must more needs to be done. GMB Safety Reps may take up any issues of
carry out a risk assessment to protect The employer must look at the potential for a concern under these Regulations on any
employees from exposure to reasonably verbal or physical assault, and then put in aspect of violence that concerns the health
foreseeable violence. A risk assessment is an place measures to eliminate or reduce the risk and safety of employees, including stress from
examination to determine what hazards exist so that harm is unlikely. the fear of violence.
in your workplace. A hazard is anything that GMB Safety Representatives have the legal
Measures that employers should consider
could cause harm to people, including verbal power to take up issues relating to violence at
could include:
or physical abuse. work – and can help YOU.
1. Protective screens for staff at risk
Employers must then decide whether there are 2. Security for late night staff
enough measures to protect people or whether 3. Changing shift patterns so that no-one The Reporting of Injuries,
they need to take action to eliminate or reduce works alone Diseases and Dangerous
the risk of the hazards that they have identified. 4. Better lighting Occurrences Regulations
5. Adapting the environment, if possible, to (RIDDOR) 1995
reduce the risk to employees
Under RIDDOR, any violent incident which
6. Training and information for staff in
organising work so that the risk of requires the victim to take more than 3 days
violence is reduced off work must be reported to the relevant
7. Training and information in how to enforcing authority.
deal with violent situations.
GMB Violence at work 6pp 31/10/02 10:56 Page 3
If you are not yet a GMB member – JOIN TODAY. the Regions. It is widely acknowledged that the GMB offers
the best health and safety service of any trade union.
GMB Violence at work 6pp 31/10/02 10:56 Page 4