WorkSafe Victoria is urging people to change their attitudes to COVID-19 testers, vaccination staff and other frontline workers who face ugly aggression from members of the public.
Acting Executive Director of Health and Safety at WorkSafe, Andrew Keen said the Agency had relaunched its successful It’s Never Ok campaign in response to the reports of violence and aggression.
“It’s distressing to see the anger and, at times, physical violence aimed at workers, particularly those who are putting their own welfare on the line to help keep the rest of us healthy and safe in these uncertain times,” Mr Keen said.
“Whether it is a nurse, doctor, police officer, bus driver or retail worker, this behaviour is unacceptable because of the crippling psychological and physical trauma it causes,” he said.
“Everyone has a right to a healthy and safe workplace, whatever the circumstances; no matter if you are a worker, customer or member of the public, violence in the workplace is never ok.”
Mr Keen said it was heartening to see that many people had taken the campaign’s crucial message on board since it first aired earlier this year, with tracking data showing that half of Victorians were now aware of the message.
“Employers who saw the ads were also more likely to acknowledge that it is their responsibility to protect their workers from all forms of violence,” he said.
“Workers who saw the campaign said they would be more likely to report incidents than those who didn’t.”
He said work-related violence could also cause severe distress and mental injuries to those who witnessed it, but many incidents continued to go unreported.
Mr Keen said the campaign would run across print, television, radio and digital, and featured incidents from the worker’s perspective to remind employers and the community why violence and abuse was never “just part of the job”.
Further information on the WorkSafe campaign can be accessed at this PS News link.
