If your staff work with the public - on a door, a shop floor, a ward, or a delivery round - the possibility of a knife-related incident isn't hypothetical. UK law already sets out what employers are required to do about it. Most employers know roughly that they have a "duty of care." Fewer know exactly what that duty involves, or what happens when it isn't met.
This is a plain-English breakdown, not legal advice. If you're making decisions about risk and liability, get advice specific to your business.
The Starting Point: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Section 2 of the Act places a general duty on every employer to ensure, "so far as is reasonably practicable," the health, safety and welfare of employees. That duty has consistently been interpreted to include protecting staff from violence, not just accidents or faulty equipment. If your role puts staff in situations where a weapon could realistically be drawn, that risk falls within your legal responsibility.
The Practical Step: Risk Assessment
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out and document, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment covering the risks staff face. For roles with public-facing conflict potential (door supervisors, retail staff, lone workers, healthcare and social care staff), that assessment needs to specifically consider the risk of knife or weapon-related violence, not just slips, trips and manual handling.
A risk assessment that ignores a known, foreseeable risk isn't "suitable and sufficient" - and that gap is exactly where employers get caught out after an incident.
When PPE Becomes a Legal Requirement, Not a Nice-to-Have
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require employers to provide suitable PPE, free of charge, whenever a risk to health and safety cannot be adequately controlled by other means. For a role where a knife-related confrontation is a realistic and foreseeable part of the job, and where you can't eliminate that risk through staffing levels, training or procedure alone, protective clothing isn't an optional extra sitting alongside the uniform budget - it's part of meeting the legal duty.
What "Reasonably Practicable" Actually Means
The law doesn't expect employers to eliminate every risk regardless of cost or effort. It expects a proportionate response: assess the risk properly, put reasonable controls in place, train staff, and review it. In practice, for roles genuinely exposed to knife risk, that usually means a combination of:
- A documented risk assessment that names the specific risk
- Safe systems of work - staffing levels, lone-working procedures, de-escalation protocols
- Training in recognising and defusing confrontation
- Protective clothing or equipment where the risk assessment shows it's warranted
- A clear incident reporting and review process
What Happens When Employers Get It Wrong
The Health and Safety Executive has taken enforcement action against employers following attacks on staff, with fines following findings of inadequate risk assessment, defective or absent safety equipment, and insufficient training or supervision. Beyond the financial penalty, a serious failure to protect staff can also amount to a breach of the employment contract, opening the door to separate claims.
None of this requires a worst-case incident to matter. HSE inspections and enforcement can follow near-misses and complaints, not just serious injuries.
Where This Fits in Practice
For most employers with staff genuinely exposed to knife-related risk, meeting this duty comes down to three things: assess the risk honestly, document it, and act on what the assessment tells you - which, for many roles, includes providing proper protective clothing rather than leaving staff to source their own or go without.
Titan Depot supplies slash-resistant clothing and body armour direct from manufacturer, built for people who need it as part of the job - not as an afterthought. If you're reviewing what your PPE provision should look like, browse the range at titandepot.co.uk.
This article is general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Employers should seek independent legal advice specific to their own risk assessment and circumstances.
