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Workplace safety

  • Supporting people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic or family violence is both challenging and rewarding
  • It can also present a risk to workers’ safety and wellbeing
  • Workplace health and safety (WHS) policies need to be in place to for anyone supporting people affected by sexual, domestic or family violence

Perpetrator risk

Supporting people impacted by sexual, domestic or family violence may mean also coming into contact with the perpetrators of violence. Perpetrators may be threatening, abusive or violent towards staff as well as clients. Security and lockdown procedures should be reviewed regularly to reduce the risk of incidents.

Some things that can be done to increase security include:

  • Installing duress alarms or panic buttons
  • Locking doors and counters or other barriers at reception
  • Staff incident response training
  • Using CCTV monitoring

Other resources

You can find out more about workplace safety from the Gendered Violence and Work website. They can also assist in developing workplace strategies for your organisation.

Gendered violence and work
Workplace stategies

Next steps

Contact us If you need support in the course of your work, you can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or through online chat.
Find out about workplace stress and trauma It’s not uncommon for support workers to experience their own stress when helping other people through personal trauma. Find out more about workplace-induced stress and trauma and the support available.
Find out more about violence and the law Finds links to organisations that provide legal information, resources and support, as well as information on protection orders.