Draft Guidelines on Assaults for Schools

INTO Special Education Conference Croke Park, 8th December 2012

The Legal Context

• EU OSHA Definition- 3rd Party Violence in the context of the workplace– “physical violence, verbal aggression or the threat

of physical violence where the aggressor is not a work colleague, e.g. the person, customer, client or patient receiving the service”

• Assaults on teachers ( by pupils or others) are a workplace safety issue

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

• The Employer- the Board of Management shall ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the safety, health and welfare of employees through:– Assessing risks and minimizing these through

taking measures set out in the act– Reporting incidents where appropriate

• Employees have a duty to take reasonable care to protect their safety at work.

Consequences of Violence at Work

For the individual–Physical harm– Stress– Emotional trauma– Feelings of

powerlessness–Demotivation

For the organization•Higher staff turnover•Increased absenteeism and sickness absence•Higher insurance costs

Guidelines – should include

• Introduction- – Assaults acknowledged as an organisational issue,

not a personal one– Constructive approach to prevention and dealing

with assaults

• Background– Definition, legal framework, prevalence– Impact of assaults

Concrete Steps to be taken in the school

Guidelines

Where to next?

• Preparation of a report of this Conference• INTO discussions with the DES and

Management bodies with a view to revising Circular 40/97

• INTO Representation – development of HSE Health and Safety Guidelines for Primary Schools

• In the interim, work at school level to develop policy in their own context