What happens when you report OVA to us?

If you experience occupational violence or aggression, ANMF  (Vic Branch) encourages you to report the incident to us, as well as to your employer.

Violence and aggression is not acceptable in any workplace and all ANMF members have a right to safety at work.

When you report an incident of occupational violence or aggression (OVA) to us via our website online form, this is what happens:

1. The report is distributed to the industrial organiser and industrial officer allocated to your health facility and there will be internal discussions about how to manage your case, involving the organiser, industrial officer and occupational health
   and safety officers.
2. You should be contacted within 24 business hours to make sure you are OK and have supports in place. You will also be offered referral to the Nursing & Midwifery Health Program Victoria, a free counselling and support service for Victorian nurses and midwives. The ANMF staff member who contacts you may ask you for more details of the incident, or to clarify details.
3. ANMF (Vic Branch) may organise a members’ meeting at your health facility for a general discussion of safety issues. Some members may not want it known that they submitted an OVA report and any actions we take will be sensitive to this.
4. There are a range of actions ANMF (Vic Branch) takes to follow up your issues and these vary depending on the incident reported. They may include referral of the incident to WorkSafe, assisting you to make a WorkCover claim and discussing with your employer measures to improve safety in your workplace. Under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (2004) an employer ‘must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees of the employer a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.’

If you are experiencing occupational violence or aggression, report to us via this form.