A new report (opens a new window) by Safe Work Australia has brought attention to the increasing prevalence of work-related violence in the health and community services sector.
Drawing from Safe Work Australia’s workers’ compensation claims data, as well as data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey (PSS) and the People at Work (PAW) Survey, the Workplace and work-related violence and aggression in Australia report highlights an urgent need for leadership in health and community service organisations to adopt effective health and safety strategies to help mitigate risks.
Key findings for health and community service providers
The report emphasises several critical issues particularly relevant to health and community care service providers:
1. Prevalence of work-related violence and claims
The health care and social assistance industry experiences the second-highest number of workplace violence reported incidence, behind only the public administration and safety sector.
However, more importantly, the health care and social assistance sector shows a significantly higher number of serious workers’ compensation claims.
This reflects the unique pressures faced by health and community services workers who are responsible for caring for the most vulnerable members of our community.
2. Increase in workers’ compensation claims
Since 2017-18, there has been a 56% increase in all serious workers' compensation claims due to workplace and work-related violence, with assaults contributing significantly to this increase.
This sharp increase in violence-related claims relative to all serious claims highlights an urgent need for organisations to address both the physical and psychological impacts of violence on their workforce.
3. Gender disparity in claims
Over the past decade, claims by women have risen by 73%, compared to a 33% rise for men.
This statistic is not surprising considering females make up a significant portion of the workforce in services settings.
However, it underscores the necessity for organisations to address the specific vulnerabilities faced by female workers, as well as the heightened risk of serious workers’ compensation claims that may arise from these vulnerabilities.
4. Mental health and psychological injuries
Psychological injuries have overtaken physical injuries as the most common type of serious workers' compensation claim associated with workplace and work-related violence.
For managers and board members, this shift underscores the necessity of implementing robust mental health support systems and preventive measures to safeguard employees’ mental well-being.
5. Client and patient aggression
Aggression from clients or patients is the primary source of work-related violence, surpassing incidents involving managers and co-workers.
The daily exposure of employees in health and community services to clients and patients, including their families, makes it crucial for managers and governance leaders to prioritise addressing this issue.
Risk and insurance implications
The increase in work-related violence presents several challenges for health and community service providers, particularly with respect to risk and insurance management.
The financial and legal consequences of failing to address these risks may include:
1. Rising workers' compensation premiums
The escalation in workplace violence and mental health-related claims is likely to result in higher workers’ compensation premiums. For health and community services providers, this can have serious financial implications, particularly as the sector is often constrained by funding and resource limitations.
The implementation of effective WHS measures can help reduce an organisation’s exposure to rising workers compensation insurance premiums by reducing the impact and severity of claims experience.
2. Industrial manslaughter prosecutions
With industrial manslaughter legislation now enacted across all Australian states and territories, officers and employers are exposed to severe legal repercussions, including life imprisonment, if a worker dies due to workplace violence and it is determined that negligence contributed to the risk of death.
For individuals in governance roles, this risk emphasises the need to ensure that violence prevention strategies are in place and actively managed.
3. Exposure to Work Health and Safety Act Breaches
In addition to the threat of industrial manslaughter prosecutions, breaches of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011 (opens a new window) (WHS Act) can result in substantial fines and legal liabilities, including jail time for officers and for workers.
Directors and managers must be aware of their obligations under the WHS Act and ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect workers from violence.
4. Prohibition of insurance coverage for WHS fines
It is important to note that insurance coverage for WHS fines is not available in many states, leaving organisations as well as individuals, financially exposed.
Effective governance involves understanding the risks and implementing proactive measures to prevent workplace violence and minimise legal exposure.
Mitigating the risk of work-related violence
To address the increasing risk of work-related violence, health and community services organisations need to take a proactive approach to risk management.
Individuals in leadership and governance roles are responsible for ensuring that their organisations adopt WHS risk mitigation strategies, which may include:
1. Conducting risk assessments
Alongside client risk assessments, risk assessments should be completed and regularly reviewed focussing on the risk to workers from client and patient aggression and violence.
Risk assessments should be completed where a potentially hazardous situation is identified, identifying potential triggers and vulnerable points in services delivery and determining the controls to be implemented.
Where the risk is too great to the worker, the situation or activity should not be performed until the risk is reduced.
2. Providing staff training
Investing in staff training is key to reducing workplace violence.
Training programs that cover conflict de-escalation techniques, positive behaviour strategies, managing behaviours of concern, and mental health awareness can empower workers to avoid and better handle volatile situations and reduce the likelihood of violence.
In health and community services, training and regular refreshers on client specific behaviour management plans is key to support employees to manage individuals assessed as at risk of violence.
3. Implementing environmental controls
Designing and modifying the workplace environment can help to significantly lower the risk of violence.
Secure staff-only areas, enhanced communication systems, removal, secure storage or fixing of objects that could be used as weapons, laminated glass, adequate space to allow for safe exit at all times and maintaining safe staff-to-client ratios are potential practical steps that organisations can take to help protect their employees.
4. Incident response procedures
Implementing a simple reporting system for employees to quickly report and rate the level of violence or aggression is important to accurately understand exposure and risk. This data can be critical to fully understanding the risk and understanding the effectiveness of controls implemented.
5. Providing psychosocial support
Offering psychosocial support services, such as management and team support, professional supervision and counselling for workers affected by workplace violence is critical to fostering a supportive work environment, ensuring worker wellbeing and also helping workers to recover from the cumulative effects of work-related violence and prevent long-term mental health issues.
Such support can also reduce the likelihood of subsequent workers’ compensation claims for psychological injuries.
Taking action
For leaders in health and community services organisations, the rising risk of work-related violence requires immediate attention.
By implementing comprehensive health and safety strategies, managers and boards can help protect their workers while also helping to safeguard the financial and legal standing of their organisations.
For further discussion on how to reduce or address these risks within your organisation, please get in touch.
The contents of this publication are provided for general information only. Lockton is the provider of WHS consultancy services. Lockton arranges the insurance and is not the insurer. While the content contributors have taken reasonable care in compiling the information presented, we do not warrant that the information is correct. It is not intended to be interpreted as advice on which you should rely and may not necessarily be suitable for you. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication.
