Workplace Report February 2024

Health & safety news

Settlements reflect rising violence in Scottish schools

The EIS Scottish teachers’ union called on local authorities and the Scottish government to take urgent action to make schools properly safe and ensure staff and pupils can work without fear of assault or injury as it published new figures on personal injury settlements. Previously, the vast majority would be related to slips, trips and falls.

"This year, however, more than 40% of the settlements that we are highlighting were because teachers had been assaulted in their place of work,” said EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley. “These cases have resulted in payments of more than £220,000 for the five teachers concerned."