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Workplace Violence: Prevention Starts Long Before an Incident

In 2024/25, an estimated 329,000 adults experienced violence at work. For many organisations, workplace violence is often associated with extreme situations or specific industries, and is not something they typically plan for. But in reality, violence at work is far more nuanced, often developing through everyday interactions, behaviours, and overlooked warning signs. We asked Founder Steven Caldwell, to break down what workplace violence really looks like in 2026, and why prevention starts long before an incident occurs.

1. The latest figures show that 329,000 adults experienced violence at work last year. From your perspective, how should businesses interpret this?

“Workplace violence is widely unreported so 329,000 likely reflects only a portion of actual incidents. It now elevates workplace violence to a core business risk.”

2. When people hear ‘workplace violence’, they often think of extreme situations. But, what does it actually look like?

“It is a spectrum of behaviours, many of which are subtle, frequent, often normalised and accepted such as verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, personal insults, threatening comments. These can often be dismissed as ‘part of the job’ but act as a precursor to escalation.”

3. Are there particular industries or environments where the risk is higher, or can this affect any workplace?

“Workplace violence can affect any workplace, but the level and type of risk varies a lot by industry and environment. Workplaces that have direct interaction with the public such as healthcare, retail, transportation, education and hospitality have consistently elevated exposure.”

4. You often say “prevention starts long before an incident” — what does that mean in practical terms?

“Preventing violence in the workplace isn’t about a single control, it’s about building a layered system that reduces triggers, spots early warning signs and gives staff confidence to respond safely. This can be done in a number of ways: 
 

  • Risk based threat assessment
  • Design the environment to reduce friction
  • Establish clear policies to encourage reporting and communication 
  • Train staff in practical and usable skills 
  • Offer post incident support”

5. What are the early warning signs that a situation could escalate?

“Most incidents don’t come out of nowhere, They build through observable behaviours. The key is recognising changes in emotion, body language and communication, most incidents follow a pattern: 

Frustration - Agitation - Aggression - Violence”

6. If a situation does begin to escalate, what should people prioritise in that moment?

“When a situation starts to escalate people often feel pressure to ‘fix it’ or win the argument. That’s the wrong priority. The focus should immediately be on personal safety, de-escalation and controlled disengagement. Create a safe distance and a clear exit route.”

7. How important is situational awareness for everyday employees, not just security professionals?

“Personal situational awareness skills are invaluable, the earlier something is recognised the more options there are to manage it safely. Escalation is reduced, injuries and stress decrease and reporting improves when safety is a shared responsibility. Security teams respond to incidents but an aware employee can often prevent them from happening at all.” 

8. Where do most organisations fall short when it comes to preventing workplace violence?

“Organisations fall short because they focus on compliance instead of a safety mindset. This may include: 

  • Responding to incidents instead of preventing them
  • Having weak or superficial risk assessments
  • Poor reporting culture resulting in organisations assuming risk is low 
  • Lack of practical staff training
  • Overlooking how their own operating systems can be a major driver of aggression” 

9. For organisations that haven’t yet considered workplace violence as a key risk, what would your advice be?

“Review your existing policies and procedures by reframing workplace violence as a critical business risk, including its impact on staff absence, turnover, complaints, service disruption, reputation, and legal exposure.” 

“Engage with staff to understand the reality on the ground, and invest in practical, clear, and achievable risk and threat assessments alongside staff awareness and training. With focused action, it is possible to significantly improve your organisation’s culture and preparedness within days.”

Workplace violence is rarely sudden or unpredictable. In most cases, there are early indicators, opportunities to intervene, and simple measures that can significantly reduce risk.

The organisations that manage this best aren’t the ones reacting in the moment. They’re the ones that have already built awareness, confidence, and clear processes into their teams.

If you’re looking to take a more proactive approach, Premier Protection Security provides practical, experience-led corporate training designed to help your people recognise risk early, stay in control, and respond effectively.

Learn more about our corporate training programmes:

Prepare. Prevent. Protect.