Definitions and definitions of violence.

Definitions

List typical lone worker roles in your company. You will need to consider the following:

People in fixed establishments

People working alone in premises eg small workshops, petrol stations, kiosks or shops.
People who work from home / hybrid working or remotely.
People working separately from others eg factories, warehouses, leisure centres, fairgrounds.
People working outside normal hours eg cleaners and security, production.
Maintenance or repair staff.
Early starters / late finishers.

Mobile workers working away from their fixed base

Workers involved in construction, plant installation, maintenance and cleaning work, electrical repairs, lift repairs, painting and decorating or vehicle recovery.
Agricultural and forestry workers.
Service workers eg rent collectors, postal staff, social workers, home helps, doctors, district nurses, pest control workers drivers, engineers, architects.
Estate agents, sales representatives and similar professionals visiting domestic and commercial premises.

A lone worker is anyone who works in isolation from their colleagues without close or direct supervision.

Definition of violence

This should set out what the company and this particular policy means by violence at work. It should indicate what behaviour and actions are included and excluded from the definition of violence used. Developing a definition should take into account the context and culture of the organisation and the characteristics of the staff and the potential aggressors. It is an important foundation of understanding upon which to build commitment, policy, procedures and working practices.

An example could look like

“Any incident, in which a person is abused - verbally or physically, assaulted or threatened in circumstances relating to their work. That includes any behaviour which has damaging or hurtful effects, physically or emotionally on people”