In brief
In jobs involving face-to-face or telephone contact with customers, verbal and physical violence is a psychosocial hazard that must be addressed in the risk assessment. Measures consist of layout (escape route, line of sight, barrier), work organisation (reducing lone working, cash handling, de-escalation training), incident reporting and post-incident support; an assault resulting in injury is notified as a workplace accident.
Why is workplace violence an OHS issue?
A customer shouting at a cashier, a threat at a bank counter, abuse in a call centre or pushing and shoving at the returns desk: workplace violence is often seen as a security or customer relations problem. Yet like every hazard affecting workers' health and safety, it is part of the employer's OHS obligations. Art. 4 of Law No. 6331 requires the employer to take all measures for work-related health and safety; the source of risk being a customer rather than a machine does not change this obligation.
Art. 8/3 of the Risk Assessment Regulation requires that, when identifying hazards, psychosocial hazard sources are recorded alongside physical, chemical and biological hazards. If the risk assessment of a workplace with face-to-face customer contact has no row for violence, the assessment is incomplete.
This article covers violence at shops, bank branches, call centres and similar customer service points. Psychological harassment between colleagues is a separate topic; we covered it in our article on workplace mobbing.
Verbal abuse and physical assault: types and risky moments
Violence is not all of one kind. It should be addressed as separate rows in the risk assessment:
- Verbal abuse: Shouting, insults, humiliation, swearing. This is the most common type at work and often goes unrecorded.
- Threats: Threats of harm, remarks such as "I'll see you outside", threats by phone or on social media.
- Physical assault: Pushing, spitting, throwing objects, beating.
- Robbery and theft with force: At points where cash or valuable goods are held.
The moments when risk peaks are also well known. Saying "no" to a customer (refusing a return, declining credit, being unable to process a transaction), long waits and queues, age checks for alcohol or tobacco sales, collection and debt conversations, the period close to closing time and lone working are situations where violent incidents often begin. Verbal abuse is often the first stage of physical assault, which is why early intervention matters.
Table of risk factors and measures
| Risk factor | Example | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Lone working | Late-night convenience store, single-person branch | Working with at least two people at risky hours, closing up together |
| Holding cash | Till, cashier's desk | Little cash in the till, regular cash transfers, time-lock safe |
| Refusals and waiting | Returns desk, counter, call centre | Rules displayed visibly, waiting times announced, authority to refer to a supervisor |
| Layout with no escape route | Till or desk boxed into a corner | An open exit behind the worker, the customer unable to get between the worker and the door |
| Blocked line of sight | Till hidden behind shelves or display boards | Tills and desks able to see each other and the entrance, good lighting |
| Inability to call for help | No radio or alarm | Silent alarm or panic button, a team code word |
| Repeated abuse | Call centre | Authority to end an abusive call after a warning, a short break after the call |
The table is a starting list that can be used in the risk assessment. Each workplace adds rows based on its own incident records and workers' views. A sequence you can follow when assessing the risk of violence:
- Gather records. Bring together complaints, reports, security logs and workers' accounts from the past year; count verbal incidents too.
- Identify the hotspots. Mark the places and times where incidents cluster, such as tills, the returns desk, counters, the car park and leaving after closing.
- Ask workers. A short survey or focus group brings out incidents that were never recorded.
- Choose measures in order. First layout and work organisation, then alarms and communication, and finally training and rules of conduct.
- Assign an owner and a date. An assessment where each measure has no owner and completion date stays on paper.
We explained how to collect information on psychosocial hazards from workers in our article on psychosocial risk factors.
Cashier safety and layout measures
Physical layout is the most lasting way to prevent violence, because it does not depend on the worker's behaviour at that moment. Look at the following in shop and branch layouts:
- Counter and desk depth: The counter should be deep enough that a customer cannot reach across and touch the worker. At bank counters this distance is provided by a barrier or glass screen.
- The worker's escape route: The cashier or reception worker must not be boxed into a corner; there should be an exit to a staff area behind or beside them.
- Visibility: The till should be visible from the entrance, and two tills should be able to see each other. Tall shelves and advertising boards should not block the line of sight.
- Objects that could be thrown: Items such as scissors, utility knives and heavy staplers should not be left out on the counter.
- Alarm and communication: There should be a silent alarm or panic button at the till, with written instructions on who comes in which situation.
- Closing: Closing and cash counting should be done after the doors are shut and, where possible, by two people.
For other risks in the shop environment, see our article on OHS in supermarkets and shops.
Call centres and remote verbal abuse
In a call centre there is no physical contact, but verbal abuse is frequent and its effect builds up. Measures:
- Define in a written procedure that a call containing abuse or threats may be ended after one warning.
- Allow the worker to take a short break after a difficult call; stop back-to-back call routing in this case.
- Keep recordings containing threats and pass them to management for legal action if needed.
- Set up arrangements for a supervisor to join the call or take it over.
Constant exposure to verbal abuse is one of the main sources of work-related stress; for other sources of stress, see our article on sources of work stress and measures.
Violence incident reporting and post-incident support
An incident that is not recorded cannot be prevented. Use a simple reporting form for every incident, including verbal ones: date and time, place, type of incident (verbal, threat, physical), the worker affected, witnesses, how the incident began and the first action taken. You can collect incidents that did not result in physical harm within your near miss reporting system.
After an incident, the worker must not be left alone:
- Safety: The worker is moved to a safe area until the attacker has left; 112 is called if needed.
- Health: If there is an injury, first aid and an assessment by a physician are provided. Even if there is no visible injury, a conversation with the workplace physician is recommended.
- Duty adjustment: The worker may be taken off the counter for the day; if they wish, they may move to a different task or shift for a few days.
- Support: The manager holds a conversation aimed at understanding the incident, not in language that blames the worker. If legal action is to be taken, the worker is given guidance.
- Review: The incident is discussed by the risk assessment team. Workplace accidents and near misses require the risk assessment to be renewed regardless of its validity period.
For incidents requiring urgent response, such as armed robbery or serious assault, add a separate scenario to the emergency plan: who raises the alarm, where workers take shelter, how customers are directed? For the administrative fines for breaches of risk assessment and emergency obligations, see our OHS administrative fines tool. Bursa Sistemer OSGB incorporates the risk of violence into the risk assessment and the emergency plan for retail, branch and call centre businesses in Bursa and neighbouring provinces. For other sector-specific topics, see our office and retail page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is verbal abuse also recorded in the risk assessment?
Yes. The Risk Assessment Regulation requires psychosocial hazards to be recorded as well. Verbal abuse causes harm on its own and is often the first stage of physical assault.
Is SGK notification needed for a worker assaulted by a customer?
If the assault happened at the workplace or during the conduct of work and the worker was injured, it is treated as a workplace accident. Notification is made to SGK within 3 working days of the accident.
What is the most effective measure for cashier safety?
There is no single measure; the most lasting ones are physical: a counter the customer cannot reach across, an open exit behind the worker, little cash in the till and a silent alarm. These should be applied together with de-escalation training and closing with two people.
Which measures stand out in a bank branch?
Counter barriers or glass screens, a time-lock safe, a silent alarm, a view of the entrance from the counters and closing with more than one person are the basic measures. A separate meeting area with an open exit for tense conversations, such as declining credit, also reduces the risk.
Can a call centre worker hang up on an abusive customer?
This depends on the employer's written procedure. Defining in advance that a call containing abuse or threats may be ended after one warning protects the worker and prevents arbitrary practice.
A risk assessment that identifies and scores hazards on site, links each measure to an owner and a date, and has a clear renewal schedule.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.