1. Occupational Violence and Aggression
Hello All and welcome to this evening’s webinar on Occupational Violence and Aggression. Before we begin I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Kulin Nations, on whose lands we are presenting today, and pay respect to their Elders both past and present.
My name is Roxanne and I am the online organiser in the OH&S unit at Trades Hall. Today we are joined by OHS Unit Coordinator for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Kathy Chrisfield. Welcome Kathy.
I understand the ANMF won an award for their OV campaign – Kathy, can you tell us a little about that?
And, the timely news today about the overhaul to the standards of the state-wide guidelines for the ‘Code Grey’ policy in Victoria- Kathy, tell us why this happened, and why the changes are such a win for health services in Victoria?
Occupational Violence and Aggression

2. This session Housekeeping What is OVA? What Should Employers Do?
ANMF’s 10 Point Plan to end OVA
Action for HSRs
Q&As
SPACE
Housekeeping
2. What is OVA?
3. What Should Employers Do?
4. ANMF’s 10 Point Plan to end OVA
5. Action for HSRs
6. Q&As

3. Housekeeping Your Participation
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4. Housekeeping
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5. Housekeeping
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6. What is Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA)?
External: perpetrated by someone from outside the organisation, such as during armed hold-ups
Client-related: inflicted on workers by customers, clients, students, patients, or family members thereof.
Internal: occurs between workers within the same organisation.
Occupational violence is any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. This definition covers a broad range of behaviours that can create a risk to the health and safety of workers.
Workplace violence, aggression and bullying can be separated into three areas:
SPACE
• external: perpetrated by someone from outside the organisation, such as during armed hold-ups;
• client-initiated: inflicted on workers by their customers or clients; and
• internal: occurs between workers within the same organisation
This webinar will focus on the first two predominately, as we want to engage with HSRs and workers who experience OVA due to the people and clients they engage with in their industry.
Our first POLL is: HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED EITHER EXTERNAL OR CLIENT-RELATED OVA AT YOUR WORKPLACE? And the options are Yes/no/ no, but I have been present when it occurred. Please select the appropriate response and click Submit.

7. What is Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA)?
It is estimated that up to 95 per cent of healthcare workers have experienced physical attacks or verbal attacks while going about their critical work. Directly addressing this issue, Worksafe and the DHHS began an ad campaign in June this year. The ad campaign consists of three videos showing an aged care worker being verbally abused, a nurse being spat on and a paramedic being assaulted on the street. It delivers a blunt message that violence against our health care workers “is never OK”.
AUDIENCE: RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE SEEN OR HEARD ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN AD
Let’s take a look at one of them now. PLAY VIDEO
The ad campaign comes off the back of a 2015 report by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office which highlighted that Victorian healthcare workers face unnecessary—and preventable—levels of risk in regards to occupational violence. Amongst the findings were:
1 The incidents least likely to be reported are those not requiring medical attention—near misses, verbal abuse, and incidents causing mental or psychological distress. Categorising these incidents in this way understates the seriousness of these occurrences and does not enable future incidents or risks to be prevented and managed. Despite relevant policies and procedures highlighting the need for healthcare workers to report occupational violence incidents, there is still a widely held view that OVA is an inevitable 'part of the job'. However, this very predictability should mean it is easier, rather than more difficult, to prevent.
2. Staff interviewed reported a lack of consistency in definitions of what constitutes occupational violence and what is considered worthy of reporting. They also perceived that the organisational commitment to staff safety is not promoted as strongly and clearly as patient safety and is left to the discretion of the individual rather than being a strictly enforced requirement and a whole-of-organisation responsibility.
3. Incidents rated as only ‘mild’ or a ‘near-miss’ receive limited investigation, despite their potential for harm. While the audited health services have investigation policies in place, there is minimal support—in the form of procedures, guidance or training—for this investigative role.
4. WorkSafe has been slow to identify occupational violence in the health sector as an area of high risk. WorkCover claims data represents the most serious occupational violence incidents. It does not reflect 'near misses' or other incidents not resulting in claims. As the regulator, WorkSafe rarely uses its inspection or enforcement mechanisms to address incidents of occupational violence.
Question to Kathy: ‘Is it true WorkSafe have been reluctant to prosecute employers? What steps have the ANMF taken to address this (s131- procedure if prosecution is not brought)
“It’s never ok” WorkSafe ad campaign

8. What Should Employers Do?
Responding
to OVA
Policies and procedures
Post-incident support
Investigate
Elimination/ Control of Risk
Identification
Eliminate/
Minimise
Review
Whether it is intended or not, occupational violence is a workplace hazard. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In accordance with their obligations under the OHS Act, this includes consulting with health and safety representatives and their employees when:
identifying or assessing hazards or risks in the workplace:
making decisions about measures to be taken to prevent and manage work-related violence risks 
making decisions about information and training on work-related violence
proposing changes that may affect the health and safety of employees.
Employers must also provide information, instruction, training or supervision to their employees to enable them to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health.
We can aim to eliminate and prevent OVA. However, the prevention, management and elimination of occupational violence requires an integrated organisational approach. Employers should develop plans and policies in consultation with HSRs and employees to manage and eliminate violence and aggression. HSRs and employees should help to shape decisions, not hear about them after they are made
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Elimination/ control of Risk
Identifying hazards and assessing risks is the first step your employer should take to determine: − what could harm employees − how likely it is that harm may occur – eg not very likely, very likely − how serious the harm could be – eg minor, serious, fatal. To identify if work-related violence is a hazard, your employer should review hazard and incident reports, talk with HSRs, health and safety committees, employees, customers and clients, walk-through and inspect the workplace, review workers’ compensation claims, refer to industry standards and guidelines, examine local crime statistics. When identifying work-related violence hazards and assessing the risk of violence at work, it is important your employer recognises that OVA is known to be under-reported.
Eliminating and minimsing risks is the second step your employer should take, which focuses on determining the most effective risk control measures for any given circumstance. An employer must first consider if the hazard can be eliminated, so far as is reasonably practicable. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the hazard, next step is to consider whether the risk can be eliminated. If this is not reasonably practicable, then the next step is to implement measures to minimise the risk. This may mean implementing a range of control measures. A number of control measures should be used together to reduce the risk of violence in instances where a single control is likely to be ineffective (eg using engineering controls such as anti-jump barriers in banks, CCTV and security measures, plus administrative controls, such as cash handling procedures). Remember, under s35 & 36 the employer must consult with HSRs (with or without involving affected workers) when identifying and controlling hazards and risks and reviewing control measures.
Reviewing risk control measures. Your employer should Investigate OVA incidents Immediately according to procedure (remember the employer must consult). Your employer must investigate possible contributing factors to the incident, how it happened, whether risk control measures and response systems worked or failed in any way. This includes considering all aspects of the incident and contributing factors – the environment, equipment, people, responses and asking whether the risk control measures worked as intended. Your employer should once again Identify and implement new control measures where necessary. Your employer should check risk control measures are working and identify possible improvements. A review of risk control measures should occur: 1. at a regular time – eg annually when employee or HSR feedback indicates risk control measures are ineffective or not as effective as they should be, 2. when an HSR or health and safety committee requests a review, 3. when there have been significant changes in the work environment or work tasks, 4. after an incident.
Responding to OVA
Policies and Procedures for incident responses should address immediate safety issues, medical treatment, internal reporting and notifications required by external agencies such as police, fire or ambulance. Incident response policies and procedures should be supported by initial and refresher training to ensure that employees are familiar with them.
Post-incident support should be provided by your employer. This includes providing individual support (practical, emotional, legal and social support), a pots-incident reporting procedure and disseminating information on any action taken as a result of an incident directly to those affected.
Your employer should Investigate OVA incidents Immediately in a consultative manner according to procedure. Your employer must investigate possible explanations for the incident, how it happened, whether response systems worked or failed in any way. This includes consider all aspects of the incident and contributing factors – the environment, equipment, people, responses and asking whether the risk control measures worked as intended. Your employer should once again Identify and implement new control measures where necessary. The investigation should lead to improved prevention measures and response processes.

9. ANMF’s 10 Point Plan
Our second polling question is POLL: ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ANMF’S 10 POINT PLAN?
and the options are yes/no. Please select the appropriate response and click Submit.
Kathy to discuss:
How the ANMF arrived at the 10 PP
Why the 10 PP is effective (go through 10 points in next few slides)

10. ANMF’s 10 Point Plan 10 Point Plan to end OVA 1. Improve Security
2. Identify Risk to staff and others
3. Include family in the development of patient care plans
4. Report, investigate, and act
5. Prevent violence through workplace design
Kathy to discuss:
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Improve security SPACE
Identify risk to staff and others SPACE
Include family in the development of patient care plans SPACE
Report, investigate, and act SPACE
Prevent violence through workplace design

11. ANMF’s 10 Point Plan- Continued
10 Point Plan to end OVA
6. Provide education and training to staff
7. Integrate legislation, policies, and procedures
8. Provide post-incident support
9. Apply anti-violence approach across all disciplines
10. Empower staff to expect a safe workplace
Kathy to discuss:
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6. Provide education and training to staff
7. Integrate legislation, policies, and procedures
8. Provide post-incident support
9. Apply anti-violence approach across all disciplines SPACE 10. Empower staff to expect a safe workplace

12. Action for HSRs
Talk to your colleagues and discuss their ideas and issues
Use our ‘Occupational Violence and Aggression: HSR Risk Assessment Checklist’ to identify any OVA risk factors or potential hazards
If you have identified uncontrolled risks to OVA, take this up with your employer following the issue resolution procedures if necessary
Contact your union for further advice
SPACE
1. Talk to your colleagues and discuss their ideas and issues
2. Use our ‘Occupational Violence and Aggression: HSR Risk Assessment Checklist’ to identify any OVA risk factors or potential hazards
OPEN DOCUMENT TO DETAIL PROCESS AND CHECKLIST
3. If you have identified uncontrolled risks to OVA, take this up with your employer following the issue resolution procedures if necessary
4. Contact your union for further advice

13. Q&A’s
If you have any other questions after tonight, please send them in to Ask Renata:
We’re now going to begin answering the questions submitted during today’s presentation. As a reminder, you can still submit questions through the Questions pane in your attendee control panel.
Thank you Kathy and thank you everyone for attending today’s webinar, on OVA. If you have any other questions, please send them in to Ask Renata. Once you leave today’s webinar, you will receive a survey on the presentation, and we would appreciate if you would complete that and provide your feedback. You will also receive a follow-up within hours with a link to view a recording of today’s webinar.
On behalf of the OHS Unit at Trades Hall and Kathy Chrisfield, thank you for joining us this evening.