date: Friday 1 November 2002 embargo: 00.01 hrs, Saturday, 2 November 2002

Attention: Industrial and health correspondents, health and safety journals

2 Pages

Violence is fastest growing workplace safety concern

Violent assaults and threats are the fastest growing health and safety concern in the workplace, the TUC reveals today (Saturday) as it releases the headline figures from its 2002 TUC Survey of 5,000 union-appointed safety reps.

The findings, published today in the latest issue of Hazards - the TUC-backed health and safety magazine - show that the top five workplace health and safety concerns are:

overwork or stress - 55%

repetitive strain injury (RSI) - 37%

display screen equipment - 34%

back strains - 31%

violence and threats - 30%

The top four hazards have headed the biennial poll since 1996 but this is the first year that violence has been ranked as one of the top five workplace hazards (eighth in 2000).

TUC General Secretary John Monks said:

'Stress is still the biggest health and safety problem facing workers, and RSI and back strain are major problems too. But the increase in worries about violence, which reflects actual increases in the number of assaults on workers, is especially troubling.

'Too many workers face the threat of violence when they go to work, and in some jobs, the only question is ‘when’ will you get attacked, not ‘whether’. Workers are facing a rising tide of violence and employers haven’t got to grips with the threat. Individual acts of violence are random, but violence itself is all too predictable in some jobs. That means the risk of violence can and should be assessed, managed and reduced.'

Notes to Editors:

The TUC is working with the Health and Safety Executive, the Home Office, unions and employers to spread good practice on preventing violence at work - an inter-governmental conference will be held at the TUC’s London headquarters on Monday, 2 December.

The TUC Survey of Safety Reps is conducted every two years. The full report, including regional and sectoral breakdowns, will be published in December.

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Press release (500 words) issued 2 Nov 2002