ABSTRACT
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places certain obligations on employers and employees with respect to safety at work. A policy provides a framework on which procedures and practices can be built. It makes it possible to require or demand appropriate behaviour or action in relation to safety matters. Furthermore, a policy provides clarity, demonstrates commitment and develops confidence in the organization's willingness to address the issue of violence at work. Before starting the process of developing the policy it is helpful to be clear about who needs to be involved in the development process and how. Performance measures can be developed for the whole organization, parts of it, or specific types of work. An evaluation process based directly on assessment against performance measures within the policy can be developed. It is clear that a properly organized system to ensure the personal safety of employees will involve some costs.
