ABSTRACT
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Section 2(1), imposes a general obligation and specific applications of it upon employers. Employers face penalties under the Health and Safety at Work Act if they fail to meet their obligations. Employees also have the option of seeking other remedies where any employer fails to fulfil his or her duty, including damages, industrial action and resignation followed by a claim for constructive unfair dismissal. It is not only the statutory responsibility or other imposed obligations that provide the motivation to develop safe working practices. There are personal and organizational costs associated with violence in the workplace. Personal attack or injury can lead to staff absences on sick leave, as a result of the injury itself or because of psychological damage caused by it which leads to depression, insomnia, agoraphobia or panic attacks.
