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Physical attacks/threats on staff.

Started by fatty, 04-11-07, 03:17AM

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gambit

I've scanned through the forum and this thread looking for the answer to this question but couldn't find it.

If someone violently attacks you. (Punching, spiting, kicking, whatever) what are you supposed to do in Tesco's eyes. Also what are you allowed to do. And more importantly, what can you get away with. 

Am i allowed to hit back if they continue to be a threat. If they are no longer a threat (i.e. had there violent outbust and have now stoped.) am i allowed to retaliate from earlier.

I ask this question at the risk of sounding like a thug wanting a fight. But i was just wondering.

12brook3

see your store h s rep they should have access to tescos policy on violence against staff.....................?

almostlost

Being "allowed" to hit back isn't a problem in my mind, if it's hitting back, it's self defense.  I couldn't care less what tesco say, I'm not paid to stand and take a beating.

12brook3

reasonable force funny how the victim can usually come of the worse  >:(

georgeclooney

Seems to me this is quite straightforward, Tesco guidelines or not. The law on self defence is clear. You may use "reasonable" force to defend yourself, and others. If they threaten you with a tin of baked beans, you can use a similar item to defend yourself. If you are too afraid to protect yourself, run, you're not paid enough to put up with this. Its someone else's job to be brave, let them do it. Tesco have no right to expect you to suffer injury, it is their Duty to protect you at work.

penguin

Hi Nomad, south-west-trains, Jaycloth

Thanks for the concern :)

Police have so far not found the guy who hit me, I hope they do soon as people like that are not fit to be walking the streets to be honest.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

PitseaSuspect

Reading some of these replies are a bit disturbing and has made me have a think about personal safety in stores. Whether your a security guard or a checkout operator or whoever. How safe do you feel sometimes when your working or being involved in an incident with a dangerous shop lifter. If your a security guard would you feel more at ease if you had some basic grabbing moves, arm locks etc? Or would this make staff over convident and maybe trying to be a have a go hero so to speak. Cashiers would better designed tills to make it harder for a theif to grab the money. Warehouse staff, better secured doors in back areas. We had a member of staff get quite a shock when someone had crept in through and mangled fire door. Maybe youve havent ever seen, been, or expierenced an attack or scare.

My point in this reply on topic matter, i just want to see what peoples views are on offering more safety at work. Any answers would be nice this is just a bit of thinking  I've been doing. Thanks :d:

clansman

im a security guard and im ex army so i do know how 2 and can defend my self so im lucky. i feel it is better to know how to act when some thing happens ie talk my way out of some thing

Duffman

On self-serve, it is really bad for the women operators. They've been threatened with violence, verbally abuse, offered out for fights. It nuts! I've never had a problem on self-serve, think 'cos i'm a guy, and the the fact thats its in a cage virtually, people tend to be quite weary I think. When i'm on the main bank, that when people have gotten lippy. Think self-serve must be a boxing ring.

c_owl

HI all
i love shoplifter, i get todo just about anything to them within reason.

i worry about niddles and i think its just a matter of time i get one

clansman

i am with you there i allways try to keep a good arms length away or if i have to stop them get there arm under control but allways remember reasonable force  :P

btbdance

Remember, at Tesco, to log it will take up you precious un-paid-for break time, unless you are a manager that stands around for a lot of any shift and have the time to do so. You must also understand (I have found this from 2 stores I worked at previously) that any Tesco store, even though it should not, still works in a way that puts managers first: be careful if you are accusing a manager of bullying.

Tescohappy

They just installed a new customer service desk/kiosk, and put the new cigarette bond there too!

They installed one of those tiny metal/plastic barriers to protect us LOL. Effing joke. Last year one of the CSD staff were threatened with a knife, he only got away with a small amount of money, but you'd think they'd do something to protect us, eh? Even if they had adequate protection methods, a section of the desk is shin height, so pretty pointless.

No security either. They've all quit lol.
by the way, how come I can't post a new topic? I wanted to ask about our wage slips being online but ... ? :S

[admin]"how come I can't post a new topic?" there are links on the home page leading to an answer to that question.[/admin]

RememberEstelleHasABar

About a month ago on a Sunday morning, a very drunk man wondered out back towards the cash office. (the door from the shopfloor doesn't have a lock)
He demanded the store serve him alcohol and pulled out a knife. The DM on duty didn't press the panic buttons of dial 999, she called the local police station which resulted on being on hold for 5 minutes and then waiting a further 15 for officers to arrive. In that time two members of staff were forced to disarm and pin down the drunk and one of them was bitten hard in the process. I later found out the DM didn't fill out any logs or tell the police about the injured CA.

The Mrs

Didn't the CA tell the police themselves that they had been bitten? Did the bite break skin?

DairyLee

Remember mentioned the panic buttons,  are there any restrictions on when we can use those?  I thought it was only to be pressed in the case of armed robbery...can we use them in cases of attacks on staff or customers for that matter?
 

pete

He had a knife; thats more than 'armed' enough to warrant the panic buttons. I'm sure the Police wouldn't hesitate Tasering, or at least 'battoning' such a 'threat'.

almostlost

Dunno if its company wide, just express, or just us, but our panic buttons dont go to the police anymore, they go to bangladesh or wherever it is, who then phone and ask if we need the police, do Tesco really think, in the middle of an armed robbery, you'll ask the nice man with the gun to hold a sec while you answer the phone ?

Jaycloth

Almostlost, I'm sorry, it's difficult to type with tears of laughter in my eyes. OK, I've got control now.....if this is the case, it's absurd and the union should be up in arms.

Nomad

Quote from: almostlost on 29-10-10, 04:49PM
do Tesco really think, in the middle of an armed robbery, you'll ask the nice man with the gun to hold a sec while you answer the phone ?

If it saves them money in some way, yes  :(
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

twinkletoes

There will more attacks and there will be no CCTV coverage too record incidents as our store is having to lose 80 hrs from the CCTV desk, thats out of 180hrs in total, security is now a joke.

weir-07

Quote from: nomad on 29-10-10, 09:10PM
Quote from: almostlost on 29-10-10, 04:49PM
do Tesco really think, in the middle of an armed robbery, you'll ask the nice man with the gun to hold a sec while you answer the phone ?

If it saves them money in some way, yes  :(

Indeed, I believe this came about as a result of fines for false alarms?

Jaycloth

What is a false alarm? A person, in fear for their safety, pushes a panic button. The feared situation doesn't happen....is that considered a false alarm? Better twenty false alarms than one real tragic event!

JCZY

Quote from: almostlost on 29-10-10, 04:49PM
Dunno if its company wide, just express, or just us, but our panic buttons dont go to the police anymore, they go to bangladesh or wherever it is, who then phone and ask if we need the police, do Tesco really think, in the middle of an armed robbery, you'll ask the nice man with the gun to hold a sec while you answer the phone ?

Whilst working in an Express, I was sat in the office doing the morning filing, sat on a swivel chair with wheels, couldn't be arsed walking back and to from filing cabinet to desk, so I was pushing myself on the chair, and wheeling across the office.

I pushed myself back towards the desk, and my knee caught the panic alarm underneath the desk, I didn't push the button in, I smashed the thing to pieces.

How a panic button works:

When you push the button in, you move a magnet out of the way of the circuit, therefore completeing the circuit, and sending the signal, when you use the key to reset the panic alarm, you move the magnet back across the circit, stopping the signal.

Not knowing this, I try to fix the button, (whilst on hold to secuirty support), however I was'nt successful in fixing it, and it fell apart several times, so whever was recieving the signal, was getting it on off on off on off, so it would appear that all panic buttons were being pressed...

Hearing sirens in the distance I go outside, with the panic button in one hand, and store phone in the other, (still on hold), and outside, 5police vans had stopped traffic in the street, blocked the exit and entrance to the forecourt and were unloading police dogs....

Very embarrasing, yet reassuring.

A week later we recieved a letter, stating that  if the police recieve another false alarm within 6months, the police would attend the call in there own time, and not treat it as a matter of urgency.

Anne

How would the police know it was a false alarm until they attended?

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