Addressing workplace violence and aggression

Violent or aggressive behaviour is not acceptable at a workplace. Everyone has a duty of care to eliminate, or as far as reasonably practicable, minimise the risks to health and safety related to violence and aggression at work.

Steps taken to manage risks

NT WorkSafe acknowledges the work that employers, workers and others have done to address violent and aggressive behaviour in the workplace.

Since April 2023, NT WorkSafe has provided guidance and advice to duty holders to manage violence and aggression at their workplaces. In particular, NT WorkSafe has:

• developed a risk assessment toolkit to assist employers to identify, assess and address, by way of control measures, risks related to violence and aggression in workplaces; and
• provided this toolkit when undertaking proactive visits to retail outlets and services stations.

To date, NT WorkSafe has visited:

• 158 outlets in Darwin
• 41 outlets in Palmerston
• 39 outlets in the Darwin rural area
• 3 outlets in Katherine (noting increased NT Police presence in alcohol retail outlets at this location) and
• 2 outlets in Alice Springs (noting increased NT Police presence in alcohol retail outlets at this location).

Moving forward, NT WorkSafe intends to:

• review and update the risk assessment toolkit
• provide further ongoing assistance in relation to the management of violence and aggression in workplaces to:
  • the health and community welfare and support industries;
  • fast food outlets;
  • large retailers, supermarkets and the like; and
• where appropriate, revisit previously attended workplaces to monitor and assist with compliance and control measures to address hazards and risks from violent and aggressive behaviour.

What employers can do to address workplace violence and aggression

Inspect the workplace

Look at your layout, configuration, set up and set out of the work environment. Can you make it a better and safer workplace?

Have clear and direct ingress and egress routes.	Minimise clutter that may obstruct pathways.
Is there a safe space, area, room that workers can lock down in the face of violence and aggression?	Is the workplace generally secure? Is the safe space secure?
Can workers access and secure the safe space quickly and effectively?	Does the workplace and the safe space have communication means to seek help and reach out to police and emergency services?
Consider security measures such as guards, installing appropriate external lighting and CCTV in and around the workplace.

Invest in workers

Provide appropriate training and information for your workers that includes ways to effectively recognise and manage violence and aggressive behaviour in the workplace.

Ensure sufficient and appropriate security measures and personnel are available at the workplace and where appropriate, ensure workers are escorted to carparks, or leave work in groups.

Make workers value their safety

Let your workers know that their safety at work is paramount by:

• ensuring there are appropriate reporting lines for workers
• taking workers’ concerns seriously
• reinforcing that the health and safety of workers is more important than your business, property and premise
• empowering workers to always put their safety first
• ensuring workers understand that it is okay to protect themselves and other persons above all else at the workplace.