Risk assessment
The Health and Safety Executive say that a risk assessment is nothing more than a careful examination of what, in your work, can cause harm to people so you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. The HSE booklet Violence at Work gives practical advice to help you find out if violence is a problem for your employees and if it is, how to tackle it.
Reporting
Reporting need not be a long complicated process. Indeed the simpler it is the better. It is important to make sure that the reporting system encourages staff and managers to use it properly to measure the number of verbal and/or physical assaults on staff to help plan for the future. Over complicated forms have been identified as discouraging both.
By using an effective system and asking for staff co-operation, trends can be identified and planned for, such as specific times of the year, days of the week, or common operational situations etc.
Depending on the type of organisation you are in you may find either a simple report form or a slightly more detailed report form with guidance appropriate. Both or either of these can be downloaded or adapted for your own use.
A useful tool to supply sample policies and procedures, information in support in training for staff and help to assess the risk of violence to staff in a number of sectors such as those who deal with clients at the counter, work in other peoples home or businesses or in institutions has been generously donated to the campaign by Mr Michael Meighan of the Qualifications Company.
Advice and Resources
Advice and guidance is available on the website of Safe and Health Working which is part of the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. This provides a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL occupational health and safety service for small and medium sized enterprises in Scotland and web information for all employees and employers in Scotland.
The leaflet Violence has no Place in the Workplace provides contact information and advice on how to tackle this problem.
Data Sharing
The campaign has identified that many mistakenly believe that confusion over current data sharing legislation prevents effectively protecting staff. Guidance on how this should be implemented and where to get advice is available.
Scottish Executive Data Sharing Guidance 2004
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Open-scotland/18836/15211
Legal Guidance for The Scottish Public Sector
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/osds-00.asp
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Case studies were developed by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL). They show real examples of how employers have tackled the problem of violence to lone workers and offer real and practical examples of how some businesses have reduced the risk of violence using simple and cost-effective measures.
HSL concentrated on recruiting case study organisations in those occupational sectors which the British Crime Survey shows to have a higher risk of work-related violence.