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Violence in the workplace

Claire Mayhew and Duncan Chappell
Med J Aust 2005; 183 (7): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb07080.x
Published online: 3 October 2005

The challenge for health authorities is to implement effective preventive strategies and a zero-tolerance policy

Although in Australia the risk of death or serious physical injury from a violent workplace incident is quite remote, each year about one Australian health worker is murdered at work1 and large numbers are either verbally abused, bullied or assaulted.2


  • 1 Department of Management, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD.
  • 2 Mental Health Review Tribunal, NSW.


Correspondence: 

  • 1. Driscoll T, Mitchell R, Mandryk J, et al. Work-related traumatic fatalities in Australia, 1989 to 1992. Canberra: National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC), 1999.
  • 2. Mayhew C, Chappell D. The occupational violence experiences of some Australian health workers: an exploratory study. J Occup Health Safety Aust N Z 2003; 19(6): 3-43.
  • 3. Di Martino V. Workplace violence in the health sector. Country case studies Brazil, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand and an additional Australian study. Synthesis report. Geneva: International Labour Office, International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization and Public Services International. Joint Programme on Workplace Violence in the Health Sector, 2002. Available at: http://www.icn.ch/SynthesisReportWorkplaceViolenceHealthSector.pdf (accessed Aug 2005).
  • 4. Chappell D, Di Martino V. Violence at work. 2nd ed, Table 16. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2000: 68.
  • 5. Mayhew C. Occupational violence in industrialized countries: types, incidence patterns, and ‘at risk’ groups of workers. In: Gill M, Fisher B, Bowie V, editors. Violence at work: causes, patterns and prevention. Cullompton, Devon, UK: Willan Publishing, 2002: 21-40.
  • 6. Mayhew C. Violence in the workplace. In: Chappell D, Wilson P, editors. Issues in Australian crime and criminal justice. Sydney: LexisNexis/Butterworths, 2005: 393-408.
  • 7. International Labour Office, International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization, and Public Services International (ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI). Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2002. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/papers/health/guidelines.pdf (accessed Aug 2005).
  • 8. Ferguson H. Violence against GPs common. Australian Doctor 2005; 14 Jan: 1-2.
  • 9. Magin PJ, Adams J, Sibbritt DW, et al. Experiences of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice: a cross-sectional study of GPs. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 352-356.
  • 10. Mayhew C, Peterson C, editors. Guide to managing OHS risks in the health care industry. Sydney: CCH Australia, 2005.
  • 11. National Health Service. A safer place to work: protecting NHS hospital and ambulance staff from violence and aggression. Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, 27 March 2003. London: The Stationery Office. Available at: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/02-03/0203527es.pdf (accessed Aug 2005).
  • 12. Rogers K, Chappell D. Preventing and responding to violence at work. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2003.
  • 13. Jeffery R, Zahm D. Crime prevention through environmental design, opportunity theory, and rational choice models. In: Clarke R, Felson M, editors. Routine activity and rational choice: advances in criminological theory, vol. 5. Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1993.
  • 14. National Health Service. Withholding treatment from violent and abusive patients in NHS Trusts: we don’t have to take this. Resource guide. NHS, Department of Health, 2002. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/zerotolerance/downloads/withholding.pdf (accessed Aug 2005).
  • 15. WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Pompili) v Central Sydney Area Health Service (2002) NSWIR Commission 44 (Para 89 and 90).
  • 16. Benveniste KA, Hibbert PD, Runciman WB. Violence in health care: the contribution of the Australian Patient Safety Foundation to incident monitoring and analysis. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 348-351.
  • 17. Forster JA, Petty MT, Schleiger C, Walters HC. kNOw workplace violence: developing programs for managing the risk of aggression in the health care setting. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 357-361.
  • 18. Kennedy MP. Violence in emergency departments: under-reported, unconstrained, and unconscionable. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 362-365.

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