people risks

People Risks

Public-facing workers are confronted with a number of people-related hazards because their job involves proximity to individuals who pose a potential risk. As an employer, you need to consider who they are likely to meet?

Are they:

Total strangers/members of the public?
People who are well known?
People with a history of violence, aggression or criminal activity?
People with drug, alcohol or mental health problems?
Likely to welcome the employee’s presence?
On their own or in larger groups?
Likely to be sensitive to the nature of the visit?

Entering people’s homes

Workers are often required to complete jobs in people’s homes whether they are a tradesperson, a health worker or a surveyor. Where there is history with the service user, employers may have some background information on the person; however, new addresses pose the risk of the unknown, which must be taken in to consideration.

Potentially encountering people who have alcohol, drug or mental health problems significantly increases the level of risk that needs to be thought about and mitigated. Having a system that lets employees leave a voice clip explaining who they are about to visit and where (e.g. flat on the third floor) provides important information should an incident occur.

Genuine alarm: a user activated their alarm to advise that they had been assaulted and locked in a meter cupboard by the resident. The user advised that she was not ok so the Controller gathered further information which was passed on to the police who attended the scene to free the user.

Customer-facing roles

Dealing with members of the public creates a certain level of risk because of the unpredictability of people. The majority of the time, these people are complete strangers and you have no background history on their personality or state of mind.

The hospitality and retail sectors are prime examples where workers face increased risk, particularly if they are serving members of the public under the influence of alcohol or selling age-restricted items.

The level of risk should be elevated again if at any point staff are lone working, for example behind a bar on a quiet night or in a local convenience store.

Target for thieves

Often lone workers are entrusted with carrying and transporting valuable goods. Criminals know this and so will seek to target vulnerable vehicles and loads. In 2020, there were 4,468 reported HGV, Freight and Cargo crimes.

Similarly, opportunistic members of the public have previously targeted workers they assume to be carrying valuable items such as tools, laptops and tablets: all of which are required to complete their job efficiently.