All work activities should be assessed to identify tasks where there is a foreseeable risk of violence. Advice is given in identifying such situations and on selecting appropriate control measures to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. The need to adopt physical controls and safe working systems, and to provide adequate training is discussed. A summary flowchart of actions and a form for recording violent incidents are also included. Verbal abuse and threats are the most common types of incident.
Physical attacks are comparatively rare.
The procedures to be followed in these circumstances are not repeated here. The University has a legal responsibility to identify all work activities for which foreseeable risks of violence arise from the nature of the work, and to ensure that such risks are adequately controlled. In all walks of life there is a small possibility that unforseeable random acts of violence, unrelated to work activities, may occur. It is not reasonably practicable to devise control strategies for such random acts of violence, and these should therefore not be taken into account when deciding if a potential for violence exists in the workplace. The University Safety Policy requires health and safety to be proactively managed by carrying out assessments of activities and adopting safe working practices to control risks.