What Is the Definition of Workplace Violence?

Workplace violence is defined by the Health and Safety Executive as any incident where a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. The definition isn't limited to physical contact - verbal abuse and threats count too.

• Physical assault: unwanted physical contact intended to cause harm.
• Threats of violence: statements or gestures that put someone in fear of harm, even without contact.
• Verbal abuse: intimidation, shouting, or aggressive language directed at staff.

Because verbal abuse and threats are included, employers can't treat this as purely a physical-safety issue - it falls under the same duty of care as any other workplace risk, and needs to be assessed and managed, not just reacted to.

See the statistics on workplace violence in the UK for the scale involved, and our training courses are built around the real risks your teams face - from verbal de-escalation through to physical intervention where it's genuinely needed.