Work-related violence | Safe Work Australia

From Friday 14 October 2022, it is no longer mandatory to isolate if you test positive to COVID-19.

The removal of mandatory isolation does not impact on the duties of an employer to do all that is reasonably practicable to minimise the risks of COVID-19 at the workplace, including asking workers to stay at home when unwell.

Information on these pages is currently being reviewed and will be updated shortly.

Employer

Some business operations are restricted under state or territory government public health directions. If you want to know what restrictions on business operations apply to your workplace, go to your state or territory government website.

You can also go to our Public health directions and COVIDSafe plans page for links to enforceable government directions.

Businesses must only operate to the extent permissible in each state and territory. The information provided below outlines measures which cover all aspects of services offered by the industry – depending on what is permissible in your jurisdiction, some sections may not be currently relevant to your business. You should check any relevant advice from your state or territory regarding working from home in response to COVID-19.

Safe Work Australia does not regulate or enforce WHS laws or COVID-19 restrictions on business operations. If you want to know how WHS laws apply to you or need help with what to do at your workplace, contact the WHS regulator in your jurisdiction.

Workplace violence and aggression can be any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.

Workplace violence and aggression may include:

physical assault such as biting, scratching, hitting, kicking, pushing, grabbing, throwing objects
intentionally coughing or spitting on someone
sexual assault or any other form of indecent physical contact, and
harassment or aggressive behaviour that creates a fear of violence, such as stalking, verbal threats and abuse, yelling and swearing and can be in person, by phone, email or online.

Workplace violence and aggression can result from a range of sources including:

External violence and aggression from customers, clients or members of the public
Internal violence and aggression from other workers, supervisors or managers
Family and domestic violence from a family or domestic relationship when this occurs at the workplace, including if the person’s workplace is their home. For more, go to the Family and domestic violence information.

Workplace violence and aggression can result in both physical and/or psychological harm to the person it is directed at and anyone witnessing the behaviour. For more about psychological harm, go to the Mental health and COVID-19 information.

It can happen in any industry but is most common in industries where people work with the public or external clients. Higher risk industries include:

health care and social assistance – this includes nurses, doctors, paramedics, allied health workers, residential and home carers
public administration and safety – such as police officers, protective service officers, security officers, prison guards and welfare support workers
retail and hospitality – including workers at grocery outlets, convenience stores and pharmacies
education and training – including teachers and teachers’ aides.

Young workers may also experience higher rates of workplace violence in the form of initiation hazing.

Workers may be at increased risk of experiencing acts of aggression or violence because of measures businesses have put in place to comply with enforceable government directions or their COVIDSafe plan. These measures may include limits on the number of customers in stores, restrictions on products and services and requirements to sign in with QR codes or wear masks.

Coughing and spitting

In the COVID-19 environment, deliberate acts of coughing and spitting on workers have occurred as a form of violence, particularly against police officers, health care workers and emergency response workers. There have also been incidents of customers spitting on retail workers due to product restrictions. Some jurisdictions have introduced specific fines and jail terms for people who intentionally spit or cough on workers during the COVID-19 pandemic or being asked to comply with QR check ins or mask requirements when entering the store.

Further information about responding to coughing and spitting incidents can be obtained from the police in your jurisdiction (for example, in NSW coughing or spitting on a public official in a way that is likely to cause fear about the spread of COVID-19 is an offence).

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

You must ensure workers and others are not exposed to risks to their health and safety, including from workplace violence. You must take a systematic approach to managing risk with the aim of eliminating the risk, or if this is not possible, minimising the risk so far as is reasonably practicable.

Workers and others at the workplace also have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety, and not adversely affect the health and safety of themselves or others. This includes following any reasonable instruction given to comply with a health and safety duty.

You need to identify hazards, assess risks and implement controls

Consult workers on physical and psychological hazards from violence and aggression in the workplace and on how to manage them. Workers often know what the issues are and have ideas about how to manage them. For more information, go to Consultation and communication.

Once you have consulted workers, determined appropriate measures and put them in place, continue to review how you are managing the risks to check your measures are working.

Identifying hazards

Identifying hazards involves consulting with workers and other duty holders and observing how work is carried out to see what can go wrong.

Workplace violence can arise from hazards that increase stress and conflict. During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must comply with enforceable government directions or their COVIDSafe plan. For example, there may be limits on the number of customers in stores, restrictions on products and services, contactless collection methods or requirements to be met as a condition of entry such as use of a QR code or having to wear a mask.

External violence and aggression may occur due to:

general stress and anxiety in the community related to physical distancing rules, e.g. if people are not complying with the rules
condition of entry requirements such as a requirement to check in with QR codes or having to wear a mask
products and services are restricted or no longer available
business hours are limited
longer queues and wait times and limits on the number of customers in stores
workers do not have the information on-hand to respond to customer requests or are insufficiently trained; procedures have changed and workers and customers are struggling to adjust
not enough workers available to serve the public
handling valuable or restricted items, for example cash or medicines
providing care to people who are distressed, confused, afraid, ill or affected by drugs and alcohol
workers are working in isolation, offsite or in the community, and
increased isolation from support.

Internal violence and aggression may also occur when:

workers are worried about the health risks they may be exposed to and the effectiveness of preventive measures
roles or workloads are poorly distributed among work teams
work schedules change
there is less face-to-face supervision, or workers are more isolated from support networks
workloads have increased or roles have changed, for example if extra focus is given to regular cleaning and disinfection of the workplace
workers are not adequately trained or familiar with products, services or workplace procedures
workers are worried about their job security
the workplace culture is hostile or does not prevent violence and aggression.

Racial discrimination may also increase in the form of individual acts of aggression, or collective forms such as targeting workplaces with workers of a particular nationality or ethnicity.

There may also be stigma around, and the potential for violence or aggression towards, people who have had COVID-19, or those who seem to be acting inconsistently with public health requirements.

Assessing risks

If you already know the risks associated with a hazard you have identified, and there are well-known and accepted ways to control it, it may not be necessary to assess the risk of that hazard. If you need to assess risk, you must seek input from your workers and others including relevant duty holders.

You could consider the following to work out the likelihood that someone could be harmed through workplace violence and aggression, and the degree of harm:

who could be exposed to hazards
when they are likely to be exposed to hazards
frequency and duration of exposure to hazards
the ways hazards interact to make new or greater risks
effectiveness of current control measures
the harm exposure could cause.

Potential harm could:

be physical or psychological
include minor or serious injury and illness, or death
be the result of a single incident, or build up over a longer period.

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Workplace violence and aggression can impact psychological and physical health.

New measures may be needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts this has had on your workplace or business operations.

External violence and aggression

To manage the risk of violence, aggression and harassment at the workplace, consider the following:

Physical work environment and security

ensure access to the premises is appropriately controlled
increase security measures such as security personnel, video surveillance or duress alarms
ensure internal and external lighting provides good visibility
arrange furniture and partitions to allow good visibility of service areas and avoid restrictive movement
separate workers from the public, for example install protective barriers or screens
prevent public access to the premises when people work alone or at night
limit the amount of cash, valuables and medicines held on the premises
ensure there are no dangerous objects that could be thrown or used to injure someone
provide workers and others with a safe place to retreat to avoid violence
put up signs to reflect that the workplace will not accept any forms of violence and aggression.

Work systems

manage expectations of customers and clients with communications about the nature and limits of the products or services you are now providing, for example online and using signage at the workplace, e.g. inform customers of reduced services, wait times, their place in the queue or offer them other methods for non-urgent requests (such as online forms)
place purchase limits on the sale of in-demand goods or take them off the shelves and require customers to ask for them specifically
provide information as soon as possible on the availability of services/products or processing delays
clarify the procedures which customers may not be familiar with, such as physical distancing in stores and queuing procedures
adapt opening hours if necessary, and clearly communicate this to the public
avoid workers needing to work in isolation and provide sufficient staff during periods of high customer attendance
monitor workers when they are working in the community or away from the workplace, for example a supervisor checks in regularly throughout the shift
alternate the task of working with customers (in person or over the phone) with other work tasks and ensure workers have their regular breaks
promote awareness messages to customers about new constraints due to the COVID-19 situation (e.g. requirement to sign-in with a QR code or wear a mask), encouraging them to show patience, respect and understanding
evaluate your work practices, in consultation with your workers and their representatives, to see if they contribute to violence and aggression
train workers in how to deal with difficult customers, conflict resolution and when to escalate problem calls to senior staff, including procedures to report incidents
ensure that workers are made aware of their right to cease unsafe work.

Internal violence and aggression

There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of violence, aggression and harassment between workers, supervisors and managers, including:

provide a positive, respectful work culture where violence, aggression and harassment is not tolerated
provide a consistent approach to prevent inappropriate behaviour from escalating
regularly review workloads and time pressures with your workers and their representatives
ask workers to provide screen shots and keep records if aggressive behaviour occurs online
improve role clarity by ensuring your workers have well-defined roles and the expectations of them are clear
provide adequate resources and training to your workers so they are able to perform their role confidently and competently.

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Responses to work-related violence, aggression and harassment will vary depending on the nature and severity of the incident.

At the time of an incident

Workers should be trained in what to do during a violent or aggressive incident, such as:

using calm verbal and non-verbal communication
using verbal de-escalation and distraction techniques
seeking support from other workers
asking the aggressor to leave the premises or disconnecting the aggressor from the phone call
activating alarms or alerting security personnel or police
retreating to a safe location.

Immediately after an incident

Immediately after a violent or aggressive incident, you should:

ensure that everyone is safe
provide first aid or urgent medical attention where necessary
provide individual support where required, including psychological support to the victim and other workers
report what happened, who was affected and who was involved.
You may need to notify your state or territory WHS regulator if the incident is a ‘notifiable incident’ (see the Incident Notification fact sheet for more information).

Further information and resources

SWA materials

Other resources

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland - Prevention and management of violence and aggression in health services handbook

Other laws may also apply depending on the nature and circumstances of the violent or aggressive behaviour, for example criminal laws, anti-discrimination laws, and the industrial laws in some jurisdictions.

Further information can be obtained from:

Small Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for everyone. As a small business it is understandable you may have concerns about how to continue to meet your WHS duties at this time. There are a number of practical steps you can take to manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at your workplace and meet your legal obligations.

Here are some ideas to help you get started thinking about what you can reasonably do to keep people safe at your workplace.

For more WHS information and resources for small business, go to the COVID-19 Small business hub.

You can also go to our Public health directions and COVIDSafe plans page for links to enforceable government directions.

Workplace violence and aggression can be any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.

Workplace violence and aggression may include:

physical assault such as biting, scratching, hitting, kicking, pushing, grabbing, throwing objects
intentionally coughing or spitting on someone
sexual assault or any other form of indecent physical contact, and
harassment or aggressive behaviour that creates a fear of violence, such as stalking, verbal threats and abuse, yelling and swearing and can be in person, by phone, email or online.

Workplace violence and aggression can result from a range of sources including:

External violence and aggression from customers, clients or members of the public
Internal violence and aggression from other workers, supervisors or managers
Family and domestic violence from a family or domestic relationship when this occurs at the workplace, including if the person’s workplace is their home. For more, go to the Family and domestic violence information.

It can happen in any industry but is most common in industries where people work with the public or external clients. Higher risk industries include:

health care and social assistance – this includes nurses, doctors, paramedics, allied health workers, residential and home carers
public administration and safety – such as police officers, protective service officers, security officers, prison guards and welfare support workers
retail and hospitality – including workers at grocery outlets, convenience stores and pharmacies
education and training – including teachers and teachers’ aides.

Young workers may also experience higher rates of workplace violence in the form of initiation hazing.

Coughing and spitting

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

You need to identify hazards, assess risks and implement controls

Once you have consulted workers, determined appropriate measures and put them in place, continue to review how you are managing the risks to check your measures are working.

Identifying hazards

Identifying hazards involves consulting with workers and other duty holders and observing how work is carried out to see what can go wrong.

Workplace violence can arise from hazards that increase stress and conflict. During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must comply with enforceable government directions or their COVIDSafe plan. For example, there may be limits on the number of customers in stores, restrictions on products and services, contactless collection methods or requirements to be met as a condition of entry such as use of a QR code or having to wear a mask.

External violence and aggression may occur due to:

general stress and anxiety in the community related to physical distancing rules, e.g. if people are not complying with the rules
condition of entry requirements such as a requirement to check in with QR codes or having to wear a mask
products and services are restricted or no longer available
business hours are limited
longer queues and wait times and limits on the number of customers in stores
workers do not have the information on-hand to respond to customer requests or are insufficiently trained; procedures have changed and workers and customers are struggling to adjust
not enough workers available to serve the public
handling valuable or restricted items, for example cash or medicines
providing care to people who are distressed, confused, afraid, ill or affected by drugs and alcohol
workers are working in isolation, offsite or in the community, and
increased isolation from support.

Internal violence and aggression may also occur when:

workers are worried about the health risks they may be exposed to and the effectiveness of preventive measures
roles or workloads are poorly distributed among work teams
work schedules change
there is less face-to-face supervision, or workers are more isolated from support networks
workloads have increased or roles have changed, for example if extra focus is given to regular cleaning and disinfection of the workplace
workers are not adequately trained or familiar with products, services or workplace procedures
workers are worried about their job security
the workplace culture is hostile or does not prevent violence and aggression.

Racial discrimination may also increase in the form of individual acts of aggression, or collective forms such as targeting workplaces with workers of a particular nationality or ethnicity.

There may also be stigma around, and the potential for violence or aggression towards, people who have had COVID-19, or those who seem to be acting inconsistently with public health requirements.

Assessing risks

You could consider the following to work out the likelihood that someone could be harmed through workplace violence and aggression, and the degree of harm:

who could be exposed to hazards
when they are likely to be exposed to hazards
frequency and duration of exposure to hazards
the ways hazards interact to make new or greater risks
effectiveness of current control measures
the harm exposure could cause.

Potential harm could:

be physical or psychological
include minor or serious injury and illness, or death
be the result of a single incident, or build up over a longer period.

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Workplace violence and aggression can impact psychological and physical health.

New measures may be needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts this has had on your workplace or business operations.

External violence and aggression

To manage the risk of violence, aggression and harassment at the workplace, consider the following:

Physical work environment and security

ensure access to the premises is appropriately controlled
increase security measures such as security personnel, video surveillance or duress alarms
ensure internal and external lighting provides good visibility
arrange furniture and partitions to allow good visibility of service areas and avoid restrictive movement
separate workers from the public, for example install protective barriers or screens
prevent public access to the premises when people work alone or at night
limit the amount of cash, valuables and medicines held on the premises
ensure there are no dangerous objects that could be thrown or used to injure someone
provide workers and others with a safe place to retreat to avoid violence
put up signs to reflect that the workplace will not accept any forms of violence and aggression.

Work systems

manage expectations of customers and clients with communications about the nature and limits of the products or services you are now providing, for example online and using signage at the workplace, e.g. inform customers of reduced services, wait times, their place in the queue or offer them other methods for non-urgent requests (such as online forms)
place purchase limits on the sale of in-demand goods or take them off the shelves and require customers to ask for them specifically
provide information as soon as possible on the availability of services/products or processing delays
clarify the procedures which customers may not be familiar with, such as physical distancing in stores and queuing procedures
adapt opening hours if necessary, and clearly communicate this to the public
avoid workers needing to work in isolation and provide sufficient staff during periods of high customer attendance
monitor workers when they are working in the community or away from the workplace, for example a supervisor checks in regularly throughout the shift
alternate the task of working with customers (in person or over the phone) with other work tasks and ensure workers have their regular breaks
promote awareness messages to customers about new constraints due to the COVID-19 situation (e.g. requirement to sign-in with a QR code or wear a mask), encouraging them to show patience, respect and understanding
evaluate your work practices, in consultation with your workers and their representatives, to see if they contribute to violence and aggression
train workers in how to deal with difficult customers, conflict resolution and when to escalate problem calls to senior staff, including procedures to report incidents
ensure that workers are made aware of their right to cease unsafe work.

Internal violence and aggression

There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of violence, aggression and harassment between workers, supervisors and managers, including:

provide a positive, respectful work culture where violence, aggression and harassment is not tolerated
provide a consistent approach to prevent inappropriate behaviour from escalating
regularly review workloads and time pressures with your workers and their representatives
ask workers to provide screen shots and keep records if aggressive behaviour occurs online
improve role clarity by ensuring your workers have well-defined roles and the expectations of them are clear
provide adequate resources and training to your workers so they are able to perform their role confidently and competently.

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Responses to work-related violence, aggression and harassment will vary depending on the nature and severity of the incident.

At the time of an incident

Workers should be trained in what to do during a violent or aggressive incident, such as:

using calm verbal and non-verbal communication
using verbal de-escalation and distraction techniques
seeking support from other workers
asking the aggressor to leave the premises or disconnecting the aggressor from the phone call
activating alarms or alerting security personnel or police
retreating to a safe location.

Immediately after an incident

Immediately after a violent or aggressive incident, you should:

ensure that everyone is safe
provide first aid or urgent medical attention where necessary
provide individual support where required, including psychological support to the victim and other workers
report what happened, who was affected and who was involved.
You may need to notify your state or territory WHS regulator if the incident is a ‘notifiable incident’ (see the Incident Notification fact sheet for more information).

Further information and resources

SWA materials

Other resources

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland - Prevention and management of violence and aggression in health services handbook

Further information can be obtained from:

Worker

You can also go to our Public health directions and COVIDSafe plans page for links to enforceable government directions.

Workplace violence and aggression can be any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.

Workplace violence and aggression may include:

physical assault such as biting, scratching, hitting, kicking, pushing, grabbing, throwing objects
intentionally coughing or spitting on someone
sexual assault or any other form of indecent physical contact, and
harassment or aggressive behaviour that creates a fear of violence, such as stalking, verbal threats and abuse, yelling and swearing and can be in person, by phone, email or online.

Workplace violence and aggression can result from a range of sources including:

External violence and aggression from customers, clients or members of the public
Internal violence and aggression from other workers, supervisors or managers
Family and domestic violence from a family or domestic relationship when this occurs at the workplace, including if the person’s workplace is their home. For more, go to the Family and domestic violence information.

It can happen in any industry but is most common in industries where people work with the public or external clients. Higher risk industries include:

health care and social assistance – this includes nurses, doctors, paramedics, allied health workers, residential and home carers
public administration and safety – such as police officers, protective service officers, security officers, prison guards and welfare support workers
retail and hospitality – including workers at grocery outlets, convenience stores and pharmacies
education and training – including teachers and teachers’ aides.

Young workers may also experience higher rates of workplace violence in the form of initiation hazing.

Coughing and spitting

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

You need to identify hazards, assess risks and implement controls

Once you have consulted workers, determined appropriate measures and put them in place, continue to review how you are managing the risks to check your measures are working.

Identifying hazards

Identifying hazards involves consulting with workers and other duty holders and observing how work is carried out to see what can go wrong.

Workplace violence can arise from hazards that increase stress and conflict. During the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must comply with enforceable government directions or their COVIDSafe plan. For example, there may be limits on the number of customers in stores, restrictions on products and services, contactless collection methods or requirements to be met as a condition of entry such as use of a QR code or having to wear a mask.

External violence and aggression may occur due to:

general stress and anxiety in the community related to physical distancing rules, e.g. if people are not complying with the rules
condition of entry requirements such as a requirement to check in with QR codes or having to wear a mask
products and services are restricted or no longer available
business hours are limited
longer queues and wait times and limits on the number of customers in stores
workers do not have the information on-hand to respond to customer requests or are insufficiently trained; procedures have changed and workers and customers are struggling to adjust
not enough workers available to serve the public
handling valuable or restricted items, for example cash or medicines
providing care to people who are distressed, confused, afraid, ill or affected by drugs and alcohol
workers are working in isolation, offsite or in the community, and
increased isolation from support.

Internal violence and aggression may also occur when:

workers are worried about the health risks they may be exposed to and the effectiveness of preventive measures
roles or workloads are poorly distributed among work teams
work schedules change
there is less face-to-face supervision, or workers are more isolated from support networks
workloads have increased or roles have changed, for example if extra focus is given to regular cleaning and disinfection of the workplace
workers are not adequately trained or familiar with products, services or workplace procedures
workers are worried about their job security
the workplace culture is hostile or does not prevent violence and aggression.

Racial discrimination may also increase in the form of individual acts of aggression, or collective forms such as targeting workplaces with workers of a particular nationality or ethnicity.

There may also be stigma around, and the potential for violence or aggression towards, people who have had COVID-19, or those who seem to be acting inconsistently with public health requirements.

Assessing risks

You could consider the following to work out the likelihood that someone could be harmed through workplace violence and aggression, and the degree of harm:

who could be exposed to hazards
when they are likely to be exposed to hazards
frequency and duration of exposure to hazards
the ways hazards interact to make new or greater risks
effectiveness of current control measures
the harm exposure could cause.

Potential harm could:

be physical or psychological
include minor or serious injury and illness, or death
be the result of a single incident, or build up over a longer period.

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Workplace violence and aggression can impact psychological and physical health.

New measures may be needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts this has had on your workplace or business operations.

External violence and aggression

To manage the risk of violence, aggression and harassment at the workplace, consider the following:

Physical work environment and security

ensure access to the premises is appropriately controlled
increase security measures such as security personnel, video surveillance or duress alarms
ensure internal and external lighting provides good visibility
arrange furniture and partitions to allow good visibility of service areas and avoid restrictive movement
separate workers from the public, for example install protective barriers or screens
prevent public access to the premises when people work alone or at night
limit the amount of cash, valuables and medicines held on the premises
ensure there are no dangerous objects that could be thrown or used to injure someone
provide workers and others with a safe place to retreat to avoid violence
put up signs to reflect that the workplace will not accept any forms of violence and aggression.

Work systems

manage expectations of customers and clients with communications about the nature and limits of the products or services you are now providing, for example online and using signage at the workplace, e.g. inform customers of reduced services, wait times, their place in the queue or offer them other methods for non-urgent requests (such as online forms)
place purchase limits on the sale of in-demand goods or take them off the shelves and require customers to ask for them specifically
provide information as soon as possible on the availability of services/products or processing delays
clarify the procedures which customers may not be familiar with, such as physical distancing in stores and queuing procedures
adapt opening hours if necessary, and clearly communicate this to the public
avoid workers needing to work in isolation and provide sufficient staff during periods of high customer attendance
monitor workers when they are working in the community or away from the workplace, for example a supervisor checks in regularly throughout the shift
alternate the task of working with customers (in person or over the phone) with other work tasks and ensure workers have their regular breaks
promote awareness messages to customers about new constraints due to the COVID-19 situation (e.g. requirement to sign-in with a QR code or wear a mask), encouraging them to show patience, respect and understanding
evaluate your work practices, in consultation with your workers and their representatives, to see if they contribute to violence and aggression
train workers in how to deal with difficult customers, conflict resolution and when to escalate problem calls to senior staff, including procedures to report incidents
ensure that workers are made aware of their right to cease unsafe work.

Internal violence and aggression

There are many things you can do to reduce the risk of violence, aggression and harassment between workers, supervisors and managers, including:

provide a positive, respectful work culture where violence, aggression and harassment is not tolerated
provide a consistent approach to prevent inappropriate behaviour from escalating
regularly review workloads and time pressures with your workers and their representatives
ask workers to provide screen shots and keep records if aggressive behaviour occurs online
improve role clarity by ensuring your workers have well-defined roles and the expectations of them are clear
provide adequate resources and training to your workers so they are able to perform their role confidently and competently.

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Responses to work-related violence, aggression and harassment will vary depending on the nature and severity of the incident.

At the time of an incident

Workers should be trained in what to do during a violent or aggressive incident, such as:

using calm verbal and non-verbal communication
using verbal de-escalation and distraction techniques
seeking support from other workers
asking the aggressor to leave the premises or disconnecting the aggressor from the phone call
activating alarms or alerting security personnel or police
retreating to a safe location.

Immediately after an incident

Immediately after a violent or aggressive incident, you should:

ensure that everyone is safe
provide first aid or urgent medical attention where necessary
provide individual support where required, including psychological support to the victim and other workers
report what happened, who was affected and who was involved.
You may need to notify your state or territory WHS regulator if the incident is a ‘notifiable incident’ (see the Incident Notification fact sheet for more information).

Further information and resources

SWA materials

Other resources

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland - Prevention and management of violence and aggression in health services handbook

Further information can be obtained from:

To ensure this information is as accessible and easy to understand as possible, we refer to ‘employers’ and their responsibilities.

However, under the model WHS laws, duties apply to any person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) which includes employers, but also others who engage workers. For more information about who is a PCBU see our Interpretive Guideline – model Work Health and Safety Act – the meaning of ‘person conducting a business or undertaking'.

The model WHS laws have been implemented in all jurisdictions except Victoria.

Safe Work Australia does not regulate or enforce WHS laws or the recently introduced COVID-19 restrictions on business operations. If you want to know how WHS laws apply to you or need help with what to do at your workplace, contact the WHS regulator in your jurisdiction. If you want to know what restrictions on business operations apply to you or your workplace, go to your relevant state and territory government website for information.

See Australia.gov.au for Australian Government COVID-19 advice

Find information for you

Cultural institutions Work-related violence

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

Identifying hazards

Assessing risks

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Further information and resources

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

Identifying hazards

Assessing risks

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Further information and resources

What are my WHS duties to manage workplace violence and aggression?

Identifying hazards

Assessing risks

Managing the risks of workplace violence

Responding to incidents of violence, aggression and harassment

Further information and resources

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