Violence at work

The UK Health and Safety Executive’s guidance INDG73 on the risks of lone working has been updated.

An HSE inspector was the victim of violence and aggression while conducting an inspection at a waste and recycling site, it has been revealed.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is calling on employers to sign up to its new charter to help keep lone working employees safer.

Shop workers are experiencing "severe mental health consequences" as a result of violent store crime, a study has found.

Southwark London Borough Council has screened all hand car washes in the borough for safety and health risks and potential labour exploitation.

The UK government has rejected calls for a trial licensing scheme for hand car washes to crack down on labour exploitation.

Last week Matt Hancock, health and social care secretary, launched a “zero tolerance” strategy on violence against NHS workers. The new partnership between the health service, the police and the CPS is part of this. It aims to help victims give evidence and to bring offenders to justice more swiftly. According to the latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care, more than 15% of NHS workers have experienced violence from patients, their relatives or the public in the past 12 months – the highest figure for five years.

The Responsible Car Wash Scheme is a collaboration between the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the Health and Safety Executive, the Car Wash Association and other government agencies.It has been developed to eradicate forced labour at some of the 20,000 hand car washes estimated to operate in the UK. Though many are legitimate businesses, some trap workers in modern-day slavery and violate workplace safety and health and environmental regulations.

The Parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee has released a new report on the issue, in which it says it was “astonished to find that the HSE does not see tackling or investigating [sexual harassment at work] as part of its remit”. It also criticised employers for “ignoring” their responsibilities, and said it is time the government “put sexual harassment at the top of the agenda”.

The UK’s health secretary Jeremy Hunt said 465 ambulances and their paramedics will be equipped with the cameras as part of a pilot scheme, with the potential for a full roll out to all ambulance staff. More than 15% of National Health Service (NHS) workers said they had been physically attacked by their patients or patients’ families over the past year. Figures show that 354 people have been prosecuted for assaulting paramedics but estimates suggest the total number of incidents is much higher.