Alarming figures into the number of medical and hospital staff being assaulted
annually has sparked a national WorkSafe campaign.
Nationally 2120 workers sought compensation for work-related assaults in
2005/06 of which more than 9 per cent took place in hospitals.
In Western Australia, 80 workers were injured and more than a quarter of
them were serious enough to warrant the worker having more than two
months off work.
The three-month campaign, which begins this month, will look at
aggression management systems and examine how well existing controls
are working.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said work-related injuries in
hospitals arising from aggression were a continuing area of concern.
"There are close to eleven injuries each month to workers in WA hospitals
related to aggression," she said.
"The objective of this national campaign is to identify the risks associated
with aggression in hospitals and to assist employers to find solutions that
will lessen the risk of injury."
Around 160 hospitals will be visited across Australia, 30 of which are in
metropolitan and regional areas of WA.
Ms Lyhne said that although the campaign’s primary objective was to
provide feedback to the industry, including how to best comply with the
laws, inspectors would take enforcement action against employers if they
found breaches.
"Western Australia has a comprehensive Code of Practice on Violence,
Aggression and Bullying at Work, and I encourage all workplaces that
may have concerns about these hazards to have a copy of the code
readily available at the workplace," she said.
Written By: Aja Styles
April 23, 2009
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