What the source explains
The overview describes violence and aggression as threats to physical and psychological health. It identifies public-facing work, including healthcare, among settings requiring attention. Its examples extend beyond physical attacks to abusive behaviour with lasting effects. The legal duties described are Australian; the transferable lesson is to consider both kinds of harm when reviewing a hospital’s response.
Using this reading in your hospital
Include a private check on how affected staff are managing after an incident. Record practical support offered without writing personal clinical details into general safety logs. Treat repeated verbal threats as something to review, even if the department has no lost-time injury.
A question for your team
Does the incident form allow a worker to describe intimidation without selecting a physical-injury box?
Original source
- Australia guidance · Workplace violence and aggression overview ↗Safe Work Australia · Source checked 2026-09-10
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