WorkSafe ACT has entered an agreement with the Education Directorate for the Directorate to improve the safety of its employees in the ACT education system.
The enforceable agreement comes after a two-year investigation by WorkSafe ACT into occupational violence in ACT public schools.
Commissioner for Work Safety, Greg Jones (pictured) said the action reflected the significant impact violence in the workplace could have on individual workers as well as their colleagues and the community.
“All workers can rightly expect to go home safely and not be injured in the course of performing their duties,” Mr Jones said.
He said it was alleged that between 2016 and 2018 the Education Directorate did not comply with its health and safety duty as it did not do all that was reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of its staff.
“As a result, staff were exposed to the risk of injury, and were injured in three schools (but) WorkSafe ACT has not named these schools to respect the privacy of the individuals involved in these incidents,” Mr Jones said.
He said the alleged non-compliance related to inadequate controls to workplace hazards associated with student behaviour; failing to adequately adjust controls following incidents, and failing to provide adequate training to staff.
“WorkSafe ACT had previously issued an improvement notice in relation to one of the schools outlined in the undertaking,” Mr Jones said.
“An enforceable undertaking is a legally binding agreement which must be complied with or further regulatory action will be considered,” he said.
“The undertaking includes commitments to improvements for employees, industry and the community with timelines and reporting requirements that have to be met.”
Mr Jones said the Education Directorate had already implemented a range of improvements and initiatives when it came to occupational violence awareness, prevention and management, and this was reflected in the undertaking.
