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Services Australia is facing prosecution after a worker was stabbed multiple times by a client at a Centrelink office. Comcare has charged the agency under the federal WHS Act for failing to implement effective controls, despite knowing the risks.
📄 Read the Comcare announcement
Key facts:
* The agency knew the worker faced risks of client aggression as they had reported multiple incidents prior to the attack.
* Comcare alleges the agency did not implement known and available control measures, such as personal duress alarms, physical barriers, and safer workplace layouts.
* The worker suffered serious physical and psychological injuries.
What are the charges?
* Services Australia is facing three charges under section 32 of the WHS Act (Category 2 offences):
* Failure to eliminate or minimise the risk of client aggression
* Failure to review and adjust controls when risks were reported
* Failure to consult with workers on psychosocial hazard controls
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of $1.5 million.
What this means for employers
This case highlights a common challenge: identifying psychosocial risks but failing to act consistently across the organisation.
Some locations or business units may get it right. Others, often the ones with lower visibility or fewer resources, fall behind. That’s where the risk lies. Getting uniformity across an organisation can be challenging.
SafeWork South Australia controls hierarchy
This SafeWork SA diagram clearly outlines a hierarchy of controls for managing harmful workplace behaviours, prioritising primary, system-level controls (like role design and physical barriers) over individual-level responses.
Practical tips: How to implement controls with consistency
1. Audit each site or business unit — What controls are currently in place? Where are the gaps?
2. Log actions with dates and accountability — Controls need names and deadlines attached.
3. Track completion, not just intention — Policies aren’t enough. You need evidence of actual implementation (the below two points can assist)
4. Use staff feedback loops — Reports of ongoing risk are red flags. Investigate and respond. If a specific group is exposed to a higher risk (as was the case here), implement a quarterly check: “The right controls are in place and implemented appropriately for [risk name]” – agree or disagree. Track this over time to identify gaps and trends.
5. Schedule regular reviews — Risk controls must be active, not static. Build in quarterly reviews in line with the feedback loops.
Make sure the right information reaches the right people
One of the biggest compliance gaps is not knowing about a risk because the information didn’t get through. That’s not a defence, it’s a systems issue. Reporting lines must be clear, and consultation processes visible and reliable.
* Make sure your reporting lines are clear. Workers need safe, visible, and trusted pathways to report issues. If consultation is patchy or reporting mechanisms don’t exist at all, you are not meeting your obligations, and that’s where the liability begins.
* Use business unit–specific data. Psychosocial risks are rarely uniform. The issues facing a regional customer service centre will differ from those at head office. Don’t rely on centralised assumptions, gather insights at the local level and act accordingly.
We hope you found this useful and as always, thank you so much for reading.
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