Harassment, Violent Residents and Visitors: Protecting Staff

Successive crime surveys have shown a dramatic increase in the number of work related incidents of violence. The 1996 British Crime Survey confirmed that health professionals are at a higher risk from work related violence than the general population.

In October 1999 the Department of Health launched the NHS Zero Tolerance Zone Campaign to send out the message to the public that violence against staff working in the NHS will no longer be tolerated. However, staff in care homes are often just as likely to suffer harassment or violence.

Legal Duty

Employers are under a common law duty of care for the health and safety of their employees and also a statutory duty under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In practice this means that employers are required to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.

Risk assessment

In order to comply with their statutory and common law duties employers must carry out risk assessments and monitor and record violent incidents in order to identify appropriate preventative and protective measures which can be taken. Employers should also keep systems of work, the design of the working environment, staff training and emergency procedures constantly under review.

In carrying out risk assessments it is suggested that the following steps should be undertaken:

An assessment of the elements which could contribute to a risk of violence, including the cumulative effect of these elements. This will involve consideration of the employer's record of incidents. It is therefore vital that the methods of reporting and recording incidents are adequate.

Potential assailants should be identified. These may include residents, their relatives and friends. Risks from particular groups, such as the mentally ill, should be considered.

Particular activities which might present a high risk of violence should also be considered. These might include administering medication or delivering unwelcome information.

Those members of staff who are at highest risk should be identified. This part of the assessment will assist in determining the level of staff training required. It should be borne in mind that violence does not have to be physical: continued exposure to verbal abuse can create high levels of stress and anxiety.

Once the potential hazards and those who may be harmed have been identified it is necessary to consider whether the precautions in place are adequate or whether additional precautions are necessary.

In considering ways of avoiding or reducing risks it will be necessary to look at the workplace itself and working arrangements...