Violence and Assaults at Work
Thursday 29th April 2010 A prison officer from Armley Prison in Leeds was in the news this week for suffering a head injury after being attacked by a prisoner. Attacks on prison officers are sadly not uncommon, but anyone can face violence in the workplace. Violence can be "any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work." (HSE website) and can include verbal abuse or threats as well as physical attacks.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires Employers to protect their employees from violence at work. Employers must take "reasonably practicable steps" to protect their employees against any likely risks of violence in the workplace.
Employers are expected to carry out suitable risk assessments for any tasks that their employees may have to undertake throughout their working day. If an employer does not do this then they can be held liable for the failure to minimise the risk of accident or injury in the workplace.
If you have been injured or threatened at work and would like further advice, please contact a member of our personal injury team or complete our online enquiry form.
Ashfords LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The information in this note is intended to be general information about English law only and not comprehensive. It is not to be relied on as legal advice nor as an alternative to taking professional advice relating to specific circumstances.
