staff safety
Violence against staff and your duty of care
As the general public return to stores with more confidence, retailers should remind themselves of their duty of care obligations to staff. Naz Dossa, CEO, Peoplesafe, talks through how to meet duty of care requirements and the future developments to be aware of.
Mitigating the risk of violence through training
De-escalation and general safety training is increasingly vital for retail staff - particularly for those handling complaints, working near the store entrance, or even those transporting goods.
Retail managers can provide a basic level of protection for their staff by providing training that will give them the tools and confidence to address situations appropriately.
There are three main areas that staff should be trained in:
●Dynamic risk assessment
●Defusing aggression
●Conflict resolution
Existing duty and how real-world events impact on it
Dating back to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, there are a number of health and safety laws in place that make it mandatory for employers to do what is reasonably practicable to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.
Last year, as new COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, retail workers saw a well publicised rise in abusive, threatening and sometimes violent behaviour as shoppers vented their frustration on people who were simply doing their job.
Developing a clear management plan that includes risk assessment, training and personal safety equipment all fall under the existing duty of care requirements. This ensures that staff safety is prioritised, no matter what events unfold in the future.
Providing evidence of having met duty of care requirements
Training and a regularly updated risk assessment are key to highlighting areas where additional protection is needed. Documenting these events and implementing new measures to protect staff is important for demonstrating duty of care.
Introducing additional protection such as a body-worn camera provides a suitable tool for capturing evidence, as well as acting as a deterrent for members of the public struggling to contain their frustration.
Peoplesafe’s body-worn camera solution is integrated with the Peoplesafe Pro App so that an SOS alert can be triggered simultaneously alongside the start of recording. The app enables two-way communication to Peoplesafe’s Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) where a trained Controller will listen in to events as they unfold, providing support and contacting the emergency services if required.
Future developments that will affect retail
The government is currently looking to amend the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill so that assaults committed ‘against a person providing a public service’ will be seen as an aggravating factor.
This should help to deter people from lashing out at retail workers and give managers confidence to acknowledge this heightened risk by putting additional safety measures in place.
This year will also see the UK Government introduce new Protect Duty legislation, designed to improve the protection of publicly accessible places from terrorist attacks. The legislation is intended to ensure that businesses and organisations are better prepared to deal with - and respond to - serious incidents such as terror attacks.
In a violent attack or major event, communicating quickly and effectively is key to cutting down response time and allowing a quick, accurate exchange of information. The easy-to-use Peoplesafe Alert is a critical event management tool designed to deliver mass notifications which make employees aware of the potential risks around them, how to safeguard themselves and how to get to safety.
For more information, set up a free consultation with our personal safety experts.
