Public Servant Lifestyle

The number of people experiencing violence at work has fallen by 27% since 1999, according to the British Crime Survey (BCS).

In a third of incidents of violence at work, victims said that the offender was under the influence of alcohol.

The report also shows that approximately 376,000 workers had experienced at least one incident of violence at work. Workers on the frontline such as health care staff and police officers were most at risk of violence at work, while science and technology workers were least at risk.

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears says that:"Employers have a responsibility to ensure that their staff are trained to deal with workplace violence and offer support and advice to employees who have been victims of crime and ensure that violence at work is dealt with effectively."

Physical Assaults

The estimated number of incidents of violence experienced by workers in England and Wales in 2002/03, including threats as well as physical assaults, was 849,000.

Since a peak of 1,310,000 in 1995, the extent of violence at work reported in the British Crime Survey has been on a downward trend. The level is now similar to that reported in 1991.

The overall risk of experiencing actual or threatened violence at work was 1.7%, down from a peak of 2.7% in 1995 and lower than in 1991 when the overall risk was 2%.

More than two-thirds of workers who had some contact with the public in 2002/3 received neither formal training nor informal advice on violence or threatening behavior. Although 81% of workers in protective services (police, for example) received formal training, among other high-risk groups the level of training did not exceed 54%.

16% of all workers in contact with members of the public were very or fairly worried about being assaulted at work. 19% were very or fairly worried about being threatened. Concern was higher in certain occupations: for example, 36% of health and welfare professionals were very or fairly worried.

Threats

"Physical assaults and threats towards people who are simply doing their jobs and providing a much needed service to the public are wholly unacceptable and should not be tolerated," says Chris Rowe, Head of Psychosocial Issues at the Health & Safety Executive. "These incidents often have devastating consequences for the victims and their families, and real financial costs to employers.

"The apparent fall in the number of incidents since 1995 is encouraging but the actual number of incidents is probably much greater than this, as it is likely that many incidents are not reported. Over the coming months we will be considering how we can build on the progress so far and make further inroads into this disturbing feature of Britain's workplaces."

PSP Ltd is not responsible for the contents of external websites.

More information available in Work Environment, Advice, Drink