Violence and aggression

The violence can be either directed at the person or as a result of witnessing violence against someone else.

Examples of violence may include:

• biting, spitting, scratching, hitting, kicking
• punching, pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing
• throwing objects
• verbal threats
• aggravated assault
• any form of indecent physical contact
• threatening someone with a weapon or armed robbery.

There are a number of sources of work-related violence and aggression including:

• external violence - usually associated with robbery or other crimes and the perpetrator is someone from outside the workplace. It can happen in any industry but often occurs in the retail, hospitality, security, cash-handling, finance and banking industries.
• Service-related violence - arises when providing services to clients, customers, patients or prisoners. It generally occurs in the hospitality, retail, health, aged care, disability, youth services, education and enforcement industries. Often, service-related violence is unintentional but it does cause harm and is therefore a risk to a worker’s health and safety.
• Internal violence and aggression - can arise within the work environment from co-workers, supervisors or managers. While internal work-related violence and aggression can occur in isolation, with no other psychosocial hazards present, it may also occur as a result of multiple psychosocial hazards not being managed effectively (e.g. low job control, poor organisational justice and poor relationships at work).

Domestic and family violence is also an issue that can impact the work environment.

Violence and aggression at work often causes physical or psychological injury and can sometimes be fatal. It can also result in economic and social costs to the victim, their family, their organisation and the wider community. Like all work health and safety risks, it must be managed.

To determine if violence and aggression is a potential hazard in your workplace:

• talk with HSRs, health and safety committees, workers, customers and clients
• walk through and inspect your workplace
• review workers’ compensation claims
• refer to industry standards and guidelines
• examine local crime statistics
• review your workplace hazard and incident reports.

Resources on work-related violence

• Family and domestic violence at work regulatory guide - Comcare
• Work-related violence - Safe Work Australia
• Violence in the workplace guide - SafeWork NSW