Browsing: Violence | Page 1

Ahead of Workers' Memorial Day, and in light of the recent stabbing deaths at Westfield Bondi Junction, employers have been urged to ensure they always have clear emergency safety plans in place, and provide workers with access to psychological support services.

Frontline public service workers will be afforded the same anti-violence protections as law enforcement officers, under a Commonwealth Bill inspired by the stabbing of a worker, and a review that called for legislative reforms and safer workplace designs.

• WHS consultation urged after $300k violence fine; and
  
• WHS reviews demanded after two deaths in two hours.

A PCBU exhibited "multiple failures at management levels" to respond to violent workplace incidents, which escalated after it accepted additional high-risk clients and led to workers being assaulted, a court has found.

A "critical and insensitive" manager who routinely swore at his subordinates in an attempt to motivate them to meet purported "German demands" has lost his adverse action case, with a court finding his behaviour warranted instant dismissal and he wasn't the victim of WHS breaches.

A company director who bullied a subcontractor for four years, and abused him for raising safety concerns to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, has been convicted of workplace health and safety contraventions.

• Police enter WHS undertaking after speed-trap death;
  
• Judges sought for restored WHS jurisdiction; and
  
• PCBUs reminded of WHS duties around domestic violence.

A commission has rejected an employer's suggestions of suitable employment for a worker who was psychologically injured by an assault, after it failed to prove the proposed form of employment actually exists.

Different forms of verbal aggression have different effects on workers' mental health, according to a unique study, which found supervisors are common perpetrators of abuse and need special training to help staff achieve psychological detachment from work.

• Missing signage and access issues among multiple chemical breaches; and
  
• Draft safety laws include mandatory jail for most offenders.