The Crime Survey for England and Wales recorded around 694,000 violent incidents at work in 2023/24 - roughly 306,000 physical assaults and 388,000 incidents involving threats. That gives the UK one of the highest rates of work-related violence in Europe, concentrated heavily in healthcare and public-facing roles. Most employers know they have safety obligations around machinery, trip hazards and fire risk. Fewer realise the same legal duty covers protecting staff from violence, including knife-related risk.
The legal basis
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work. The Health and Safety Executive defines work-related violence as any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work - that includes verbal abuse, not only physical attacks. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations go further, requiring employers to carry out a risk assessment that covers the risk of violence specifically, not just physical hazards.
What 'reasonably practicable' looks like in practice
HSE guidance points to measures such as de-escalation and personal safety training, clear procedures for raising the alarm, and structured supervision for staff working alone. None of this is abstract - it's the difference between a documented risk assessment sitting in a folder and a system that actually gets used when something goes wrong.
The direction of travel
The Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, introduced a new offence of assaulting a retail worker and tougher sentencing for carrying a knife with intent to cause violence. It's a signal that government scrutiny of how seriously employers treat frontline worker safety, particularly in retail, security and healthcare, is only increasing.
For employers, the baseline is a documented risk assessment, a working lone worker check-in system, relevant training, and - for roles carrying genuine risk - appropriate protective equipment. Sourcing that equipment direct from manufacturer, as Titan Depot does, is one practical way to meet that standard without the markup of a traditional supply chain.
