Work
related violence case studies
Security officers
This security service employs around 200 security officers on 50 sites,
guarding factories, offices and warehouses. It has had only two staff assaults
in 14 years.
Key risks
- Assault, injury (including from needles), threats and abuse.
- Theft and damage of personal property.
Reducing the risk
Training and information
- Unsuitable staff are filtered out through selection and training
procedures.
- Recruits are given the security industry’s training package,
followed by supervised and structured on-the-job training.
- Performance assessment includes adherence to personal safety routines.
- Recruits are taught to be non-confrontational in approach. Techniques
involving courtesy, politeness, firmness, smiling etc are drilled
into staff.
- Continual on-the-job monitoring of individual performance is carried
out.
Work environment
- The company uses a 24-hour control room with audio/visual monitoring
of sites and staff.
- The client must provide adequate safety arrangements for guards,
eg suitable perimeter fences, offices or gatehouses, CCTV coverage of
remote areas, radios and mobile phones, and guard dogs.
- Staff are given anti-tetanus injections.
Job design
- Staff operate in pairs or teams with random supervisory checks.
- Mobile patrols are used as back-up.
- Staff stay in regular contact with the control room.
