INTERNATIONAL NEWS Employers Responsible For Reducing Risk of Violent Assault


United Kingdom - A social care organisation has been fined for exposing workers to the risk of violence and aggression.


The HSE launched an investigation at Dimensions (UK) Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support services for people with learning disabilities, after


a support worker was kicked in the eye by a client on 31 December 2009.The investigation revealed that between March 2009 and December 2010, Dimensions did not have adequate processes in place to control the risk of workers being exposed to violence and aggression from this particular client, who cannot be named for legal reasons.Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard that during the period of time in question, the client posed an ongoing risk of violence and aggression, resulting in a number of occasions where staff were injured.


Dimensions (UK) Ltd was fined a total of £14,000 and ordered to pay £30,000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in relation to their employees and agency workers.HSE Inspector, Carol Forster, said:"Dimensions should have identified the triggers that would lead to this client displaying aggressive behaviour and measures should have been put in place to avoid them. They should also have ensured that staff understood the activities and environments appropriate for this client, to reduce the risk of violent behaviour being triggered. Finally, they should have acted on incidents and near misses which indicated an escalating risk."


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British Violence at Work It was estimated from the 2009/10 BCS that there were:  366,000 threats of violence to British workers during the 12 months prior to the interviews, and 310,000 physical assaults. The risk of experiencing at least one violent incident (threat or assault) was estimated at 1,400 per 100,000 workers annually.


 and 43% of all people assaulted or threatened at work were repeat victims, with a quarter experiencing three or more incidents of workplace violence during the year, while a further 17% experienced two incidents during the year.


In total, there were 6,017 RIDDOR reported injuries to employees caused by workplace violence during the financial year 2009/10. This corresponds to a total estimated rate of 23.4 per 100,000 employees. These reports comprise 1 fatal injury, 924 major injuries and 5,092 non-major injuries that resulted in absence from work for at least three days. The total number of reported incidents of violence in 2009/10 was slightly lower than the previous year.


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WorksafeBC Unveils New Option For Employees Working Alone At Night


Canada - Retailers in British Columbia struggling to meet the province’s requirements for employees working alone will have a new option, starting in April 2012. WorkSafeBC’s approved the new option after it became clear there were implementation issues and challenges with the existing regulations. Currently, employers with staff working alone are required to erect barriers or hire additional staff. But three pilot projects and an independent evaluation proved those two options weren’t practical for all late-night retailers. So it came up with a third option for employers — implementing a number of rigorous controls. This third option does not replace the existing two options, it just gives employers one more way to comply with the regulations.


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