Physical Intervention Training For Employers And Employees

Employers and individuals working with the public in almost any capacity will need to consider the risks posed to their staff in the course of their work. Those working with the vulnerable or in situations that could give rise to conflict need to ensure that their Health and Safety policies and training adequately cover issues that may arise as a result of violent and aggressive behaviour. Door staff at night clubs will need to be properly licensed and trained to deal with situations that may become violent, but it is important to remember that workers in schools, care-homes, hospitals, courts and public offices may also have to deal with confrontational situations. Physical Intervention training is a crucial part of a strong Health and Safety Training programme for staff in all of these sectors, and in many more.

Physical Intervention training should cover techniques that help individuals to observe and assess situations as they develop key to successful management of such situations is having staff who are adequately prepared and feel fully confident to deal with difficult or, at worst, violent situations. A strong knowledge of the legislation that applies to dealing with aggressive or violent situations is also invaluable. Staff who are poorly trained and do not understand the limits and legalities of dealing with dangerous or aggressive behaviour may put themselves, colleagues and members of the public at unnecessary risk, while leaving organisations open to legal claims and damage to their reputation.

While physical intervention to combat aggressive, violent or risky behaviour may be necessary, preventing or diffusing such situations will always be the best policy. Well trained staff will be confident in their abilities to manage this kind of event; training in conflict resolution and breakaway techniques will form part of an effective training programme. This aspect of training is often overlooked in many industries but it should always be part of the programme of training for staff that have a customer facing role and may deal with customers in confrontational situations.

There are specific BTEC courses available through reputable companies who can provide a full package of training to compliment your Health and Safety Training. The best of these companies will offer services that will help to create appropriate risk assessments, policy documents and to audit existing policies or practices to ensure that they comply with the legal aspects involved in roles which may require Physical Intervention training.

Instilling confidence through training and practice is crucial for workers who deal with members of the public on a daily basis, and appropriate training for staff and management will create a sense of confidence not only in their own skills, but increase moral as staff will feel confident that the organisation they work for is committed to their well-being. Good training will develop existing skills and introduce staff to techniques to manage difficult and challenging situations professionally and confidently.