Traumatic events or materials
Witnessing, investigating or being directly exposed to traumatic events or material is a workplace psychosocial hazard. Exposure to traumatic events or material can severely impact mental and physical health and wellbeing and impacts can be long lasting.
Trauma affects everyone differently, but a person is more likely to experience an event as traumatic when:
- it is unexpected
- they felt unprepared
- they perceived it as uncontrollable or unpreventable
- it is the result of intentional cruelty.
Traumatic events or material includes vicarious exposure, when the person is indirectly exposed to another person’s trauma, and cumulative trauma when they are exposed on multiple occasions.
How an exposure affects an individual depends on many factors but repeated exposure to work related trauma increases the likelihood that trauma will occur.
What are traumatic events and material?
Traumatic events or material may include:
- witnessing or investigating a fatality, serious injury, abuse, neglect or serious incident
- exposure to seriously injured or deceased persons
- experiencing fear or extreme risks
- exposure to natural disasters
- witnessing or investigating terrorism or war
- supporting victims of painful and traumatic events
- listening to or reading descriptions of painful and traumatic events experienced by others
- finding evidence of crimes or traumatic events
- exposure to events that bring up traumatic memories.
Common negative reactions to traumatic events or materials
Individuals may experience the effects of traumatic events and material differently. Some of the negative reactions include, but are not limited to:
- feeling emotionally numb or shut-down
- difficulty in managing emotions
- fatigue, sleepiness or difficulty falling to sleep
- easily distracted which can increase a person’s risk of accident
- physical problems or complaints such as aches, pains and/or a decreased resistance to illness
- relationship problems such as withdrawing from friends and family, increased interpersonal conflicts
- feeling vulnerable or excessive worrying about potential dangers and family safety
- increased irritability, aggressive, explosive or violent outbursts and behaviour
- destructive coping or addictive behaviours
- decreased participation in activities that used to be enjoyable.
While some people experience reactions to trauma directly after the event or exposure, delayed responses are also a normal reaction, occurring months or sometimes years later.
In addition to considering how to eliminate or minimise exposure to traumatic events and material workplaces should consider implementing trauma-informed approaches to help minimise impact of trauma on workers.
Traumatic events and materials have been identified as a hazard in the Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2024.
This guidance will help you meet your obligation under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.
Resources on traumatic events and material
- Work-related stress – violent or traumatic events - WorkSafe Victoria
- Traumatic events or materials - Safe Work Australia
