As a responsible employer, you will already know that ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of your employees is a vital part of running a successful business. Furthermore, you may run wellbeing initiatives for your staff as a way of showing that you appreciate their commitment and care about their welfare. Our corporate self protection courses can be the ideal solution for helping your business to comply with the law, improve staff morale, increase company profits, and make your organisation a great place for people to work.

Legal Requirements

Health and safety law applies to risks from violence, just as it does to other risks from work. Violence to employees can cause pain, distress and even disability or death. Physical attacks are an obvious danger. However, serious or persistent verbal abuse can be a significant problem too, as it can cause damage to employees’ health through anxiety and stress. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) defines violence as “any incident in which the person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work”.  Furthermore, violent incidents can also severely impact financially on an organisation through lost time, decreased productivity, decreased morale, sick pay, fines/compensation, plus the impact an incident may have on a company’s reputation.

If you employ people in jobs where they may be exposed to violence, then you need to take steps to reduce those risks. Occupations that may experience an increased risk of violent attacks include: security personnel, door supervisors, hospital workers, care workers, council officials, enforcement officers, prison officers, investigators, insurance claim assessors, bank/building society staff, shop workers, bus/taxi drivers, lone workers, frequent travellers, and so on.

The main pieces of relevant legislation are:

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
Employers have a legal duty under this Act to ensure, so far as it reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Employers must consider the risks to employees (including the risk of reasonably foreseeable violence); decide how significant these risks are; decide what to do to prevent or control the risks; and develop a clear management plan to achieve this.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
Employers must notify their enforcing authority in the event of an accident at work to any employee resulting in death, major injury, on incapacity for normal work for three or more days. This includes any act of non-consensual physical violence done to a person at work.

Violence at Work - HSE Statistics

There were 6,404 RIDDOR reported injuries caused by violence at work during the financial year 2006/07.  These reports comprise:

Self Protection Courses

The Bristol School of Self Defence are able to offer tailor-made courses to your organisation on any of the following subjects:

These courses could either be offered as a business need as identified by your risk assessment, or as a a special treat for your employees as part of your wellbeing programme.  Alternatively, one of our courses could be used as a motivational team building day.

Our courses can be delivered at your premises, anywhere throughout the UK, Europe or Worldwide. Alternatively, it can be arranged at our gym facility in Bristol (max 20 people).  If training is to take place outside of the City of Bristol area, travelling expenses will be added to the cost.  These will be agreed in advance.  Also, if you do not have a suitable area for the training to take place, we can arrange one for you at additional cost, again agreed in advance.


On all our courses you will receive a minimum of two fully qualified instructors who are CRB checked and first aid trained.


Contact us now to enquire about booking a course for your organisation.