According to the Home Office British Crime Survey, in 2006/7, there were over 684,000 reported incidents of violence at work in the UK.

“Violence at work” is defined by the Health & Safety Executive as: “any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work”. Physical assaults and verbal abuse are the fastest growing health and safety concern in the workplace, with verbal abuse often being a precursor to physical violence.

The risk is greatest for the ever-increasing number of “lone workers” in the sectors outlined below, for whom Reliance Protect offers immediate access to assistance in the event of an emergency.

Healthcare - just over a quarter of UK nurses have been physically assaulted at some stage in their career. For the 200,000 or so healthcare professionals that work in the community, the risk of physical violence and verbal abuse is higher still.

Transport - bus and tram drivers, revenue collectors and inspectors are open to verbal, racial and physical threats and abuse on a daily basis. These risks increase working late at night when incidents are fuelled by alcohol and drugs.

Rail workers - in 2005 alone, there were 2,129 physical assaults on rail workers and a similar number of reported verbal assaults perpetrated by abusive and disgruntled customers. Those who handle cash are additionally targets for theft, and are particularly vulnerable on trains or away from secure areas. (Rail Safety Standards Board, Railway Crime).

Truck drivers - UK road freight crime is currently running at over 3,000 incidents per year. Organised criminals are increasingly willing to use violence to steal the vehicle or the high value goods it transports, putting drivers at risk of ambush and hijacking. (Truckpol, 2005)

Retail - in 2005 there were 72900 reports of violence, threats or verbal abuse to retail staff in the UK, with many more incidents thought to be unreported. Staff are at increased risk when moving to or from their place of work or unlocking or locking their premises early in the morning or late at night. (British Retail Consortium’s Annual Crime Survey)

Housing - meter readers and field-based utility workers are put at risk when visiting homes to carry out installations, data collection, fault evaluation, repairs and termination of services.

Public Sector - abuse and attacks on local authority workers arise as much of their work is inherently linked with some of the country’s highest crime regions. Workers at risk include those in social services, housing officers, environmental protection, benefit officers, probation workers and specialist teaching staff.