Violence and aggression legislation
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (external site) places general duties on employers and employees that are applicable to work-related violence and personal safety. You have a duty to ensure the health and safety at work of all your employees. It also states that to achieve this, you need to provide adequate:
- training
- instruction
- information
- supervision
It also places duties on employees. They must take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others. They must co-operate with their employer to help them meet their legal obligations.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (external site) state that you must assess the risks to employees and make arrangements for their health and safety by effective:
- planning
- organising
- control
- monitoring
- review
Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
Many of the incidents referred to in this guidance may not be reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) (external site). However, for those that involve physical injury, employers must notify the Health and Safety Executive of an accident at work resulting in:
- death
- specified injury
- incapacity for normal work for more than seven consecutive days
This includes any act of non-consensual physical violence inflicted on a person at work. This can be reported via the Health and Safety Executive site (external site).
Worker consultation
The HSE’s 'Consulting workers on health and safety' publication (external site) expresses your duty to inform and consult with employees in good time on matters relating to their health and safety.
Our Consulting employees pages can provide you with more information.
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 (external site) protects people from discrimination in the workplace and society in general. It creates the framework for you to protect employees from harassment and allow the employee to take their employer to an employment tribunal.
Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 (EWA)
Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 (EWA) (external site) makes it a specific offence to assault, obstruct or delay someone providing an emergency service, or someone assisting an emergency worker in an emergency situation. The EWA is generally used for less serious assaults. More violent incidents can be prosecuted using a range of common law offences from assault to murder.