Building Safer Places: Wilson Security’s Comprehensive Strategy to Address Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA)
Community leaders, businesses and other organisations acknowledge there is an increasing incidence of violence and aggression across our communities, and even more frightening is the growing trend toward the use of edged weapons.
Wilson Security’s incident data, captured from a vast portfolio of national operations, also tells us that our frontline workforce is experiencing similar challenges in the field, making Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) a critical risk that demands a targeted approach.
We acknowledge this is a challenge for our people facing this changing environment across all kinds of situations every day, and as such, at Wilson Security, we remain committed to proactive and targeted solutions.
For us, safety isn't just a priority—it is our purpose, and it is a core commitment embedded in everything we do.
Our Commitment to Safety Drives Everything We Do
We are proud to operate within diverse communities and various industry sectors across Australia, delivering essential security services while recognising the challenges posed by Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) within our workplace.
That's why we continually assess our comprehensive OVA strategy to ensure its evolution is best placed to safeguard our employees, contractors, and clients.
This initiative underscores our dedication to create a safe environment for everyone and reinforces our commitment to prioritising safety at every level of our operation.
Our OVA Strategy provides the framework for how Wilson Security will identify and manage risks associated with OVA. Our risk-based approach enables our leaders to make informed decisions to ensure adequate resources, training, supervision and support are provided to our workers.
A Strategic Response to Evolving Safety Risks
Our journey commenced in 2021 with the formation of a dedicated working group to address OVA challenges, capture and analyse data, and develop targeted training initiatives.
The first initiative was the role out of the Safe Approach System which during COVID forced our teams to work smarter and reinforce key messages using multiple methods.
A comprehensive review was then undertaken in 2023, led by our Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) team, to align our strategy with best practices and standards outlined in the Department of Health and Human Services' OVA report.
The alignment of the strategy against this review led us to formalise the development of our objectives across six key pillars.
Our six pillars are:
- Governance
- Proactive Risk Management:
- Capability Development
- Response
- Reporting and Incident Management
- Partnerships
These pillars are the foundation of our strategic goals, providing transparent metrics to measure success and enhance accountability for all stakeholders.
Through our targeted objectives, we not only address OVA but also lead a transformation in how we approach workplace safety.
Recognising the evolving nature of OVA as a risk, we remain committed to continuously monitoring, evaluating, and adapting our strategies. This ensures we stay responsive to our industry's dynamic challenges and uphold the highest safety and security standards for our people, clients, and communities.
Six Pillars of the Wilson Security OVA Strategy
Governance:
At the core of our approach is a robust governance framework.
We've established dedicated working groups comprising sector experts and senior leaders to ensure our strategies are robust and aligned with industry best practices. We're building a solid foundation for safety excellence by fostering transparency and accountability.
At the core of our approach is a robust governance framework with clearly defined objectives and measurable success criteria. Our dedicated working groups regularly review and work on these objectives to ensure consistent progress and effectiveness.
Risk Management:
Our proactive risk management pillar focuses on identifying and mitigating potential risks before they escalate.
We prioritise efforts where they matter most through meticulous analysis and tailored strategies. By staying ahead of the curve, we ensure a safer environment for our team members and clients alike.
Capability Development:
We believe that knowledge is power, and that's why we're investing heavily in the development of our workforce.
Through innovative training programs and resources, we're equipping our employees with the skills and confidence to navigate challenging situations easily. Wilson Security has opted to move towards a blended approach to training by using a combination of face-to-face, online and virtual reality training along with a targeted marketing campaign.
Response:
The focus is on establishing clear protocols and response mechanisms to swiftly and effectively manage OVA incidents and critical events on-site.
Wilson Security partners with clients to define and agree upon response protocols, facilitating coordinated incident responses. Response technologies and teams are reviewed to optimise safety outcomes.
Reporting and Incident Management:
Data is the cornerstone of informed decision-making. Our reporting and incident management pillar is dedicated to collecting and analysing data to enhance our understanding of OVA incidents.
By identifying trends and patterns, we can implement targeted solutions and continuously improve our approach to investigations and incident understanding.
Partnerships:
Collaboration is key to success. Our partnerships pillar focuses on fostering strong relationships with clients, industry stakeholders, emergency services and communities.
By working together towards shared safety goals, we're creating a safer and more secure environment for everyone involved.
Continual Improvement for a Safer Tomorrow
At Wilson Security, we recognise that OVA risks are continuously evolving, so our strategy includes a commitment to ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation.
By remaining responsive to industry challenges, we uphold the highest standards of safety for our people, our clients, and the communities we serve.
Investing in Advanced Training to Address Sector-Specific Risks
Building on our purpose to create a safer future for everyone, our face-to-face Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) training program is specifically tailored to a variety of sectors including health, transport and retail—all high-risk environments that requires a comprehensive understanding of environment dynamics, violence prediction, and verbal de-escalation as primary mitigation methods.
A key driver of Wilson Security's face-to-face training success is its customisation to address sector-specific needs based on detailed industry and risk assessments facilitated by our in-house subject matter experts..
As part of our holistic OVA strategy, these immersive classroom sessions highlight our commitment to prioritizing safety across all levels of our operations.
We recognize that OVA risks are constantly evolving; thus, we remain dedicated to ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation of our strategies. This ensures we continue to meet our industry's dynamic challenges while upholding the highest standards of safety and security for our people and the communities we serve.
Safety as Our Foundation and Guiding Principle
Our clients depend on our security workforce to provide safe and sustainable service in a variety of situations every day. The safety of our workers is our foundation – it drives everything we do. Simply put, if our workers are not safe, then we're not doing our job and delivering on our promises internally and to our clients.
Equally important, we passionately believe it is our responsibility to return our workforce home safely to their loved ones each day.
Through our comprehensive OVA (Occupational Violence and Aggression) Strategy, we're creating safer places for our employees, contractors, and clients across all levels of operation. This strategy reflects our vision to be the Most Trusted Provider of Integrated Security Solutions and reinforces our commitment to delivering a safer future for everyone.
Our 7,000+ workforce drives our success, and their health and safety is embedded in everything we do, which is reflected in our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate, which is significantly better than the industry.
At Wilson Security, safety isn't just a priority; it's our purpose.
