On Wednesday 5 May, Acacia Connection hosted a powerful Breakfast Series event bringing together leaders from across Southeast Queensland to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing modern workplaces: Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA).
QPLA President, Nicole Hunt, joined an expert panel alongside occupational health and safety specialists representing Brisbane City Council, McNab Constructions, and the City of Moreton Bay. Together, they explored how organisations can move beyond reactive incident management and build a proactive, psychosocially safe framework that strengthens capability at every level.
A Shift From Response to Prevention
A central theme of the discussion was the need for organisations to evolve from traditional, incident‑driven approaches to OVA. While reporting, investigation, and corrective action remain essential, they are no longer enough on their own.
The panel emphasised that true prevention requires a strategic, system‑level approach—one that recognises OVA as a psychosocial hazard under the Work Health and Safety Act and embeds risk management into everyday operations.
Key insights included:
- Psychosocial risk management — integrating OVA into broader psychosocial frameworks rather than treating it as an isolated issue.
- Organisational capability building — equipping leaders, frontline teams, and support functions with the skills, tools, and confidence to identify and mitigate risks early.
- Early intervention strategies — recognising behavioural cues, environmental triggers, and systemic contributors before they escalate.
- Cultural maturity — fostering a culture where reporting is encouraged, psychological safety is prioritised, and accountability is shared.
Practical Approaches Shared by the Panel
Each organisation brought a unique perspective shaped by their industry, workforce, and community interactions. Despite these differences, several common strategies emerged:
- Clear behavioural standards — defining what is acceptable, what is not, and how employees can respond safely.
- Environmental and design controls — using layout, signage, technology, and workflow design to reduce risk.
- Training and capability uplift — ensuring staff feel prepared, supported, and confident in de‑escalation and incident response.
- Data‑driven insights — leveraging reporting trends to identify hotspots, patterns, and opportunities for targeted intervention.
- Leadership accountability — embedding OVA prevention into KPIs, governance structures, and strategic planning.
Collaboration Across Sectors
One of the standout strengths of the panel was the cross‑sector collaboration. Local government, construction, and community‑facing organisations each encounter OVA differently—but the underlying principles of prevention, capability, and culture are universal.
The panel highlighted the value of:
- Shared learning across industries
- Consistent messaging to the community
- Partnerships between safety, HR, and operational teams
- Transparent communication with workers and stakeholders
This collective approach strengthens not only individual organisations but the broader ecosystem of safety across Queensland.
The panel members brought a grounded, strategic perspective to the conversation, emphasising that psychosocial safety is not an add‑on—it’s a core organisational capability. Nicole highlighted the importance of:
- Embedding OVA prevention into organisational strategy
- Supporting leaders to confidently navigate psychosocial obligations
- Creating systems that make safe behaviours the default
- Ensuring workers feel heard, protected, and empowered
These insights reinforced Acacia’s commitment to helping organisations build sustainable, proactive safety cultures.
Key Takeaway
Occupational Violence and Aggression is a complex challenge—but with the right capability, culture, and systems, organisations can shift from reacting to incidents to preventing harm before it occurs. The Breakfast Series made it clear: proactive, psychosocially informed approaches are not just best practice—they are essential for modern, resilient workplaces.
