Frontline Safety Must Come First: Lessons from the Duane Farrell Case

A recent ruling by the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has highlighted serious failures in how frontline worker safety was managed within the Department of Corrections.

The case resulted in Corrections being ordered to pay Corrections Officer Duane Farrell nearly $95,000 in compensation and lost wages, after the authority found he had been treated unfairly and that his employer failed to ensure a safe system of work.

This decision should serve as an important reminder to all employers operating in high-risk environments: worker safety must never be an afterthought.

A Failure to Protect a Frontline Worker

The ERA heard that in 2017 Officer Farrell was attacked by a prisoner while escorting them through the prison. After the assault, he requested medical assistance but was not immediately taken to hospital and was reportedly told to “shake it off” before eventually being transported to hospital by another officer.

More concerningly, Corrections later became aware that there was a level 1 threat against Farrell’s life, meaning there was a specific and credible risk of violence against him. Yet that information was not communicated to him, and he was allowed to return to work without understanding the nature of the threat.

The ERA found that Corrections had failed to provide critical safety information and failed to ensure a safe system of work following the assault and subsequent threats.

For a frontline worker, these failures can have profound consequences. Knowing that credible threats exist against you but learning about them only after the fact undermines confidence in the employer’s ability to keep staff safe.

The Importance of Robust Risk Assessment

For NUPE, this case underscores a fundamental principle: robust risk assessment and communication are essential when workers operate in high-risk frontline roles.

Where staff work directly with volatile individuals, offenders, or high-risk environments, employers must ensure:

• Thorough and ongoing risk assessments are undertaken

• Threat information is communicated immediately to affected staff

• Appropriate protective measures and work arrangements are put in place

• Staff are supported medically and psychologically following incidents

• Return-to-work processes prioritise worker safety and wellbeing

  
  

Failure in any of these areas not only exposes workers to harm, but also damages trust between staff and management.

Safety Culture Matters

Frontline roles such as corrections, youth justice, social services, and other high-risk environments rely heavily on a culture of safety and trust. Workers must be confident that when they report risks, injuries, or threats, their employer will take those concerns seriously and act immediately.

A culture where workers are told to “shake it off,” or where critical threat information is withheld, sends the wrong message and undermines safety systems that are meant to protect staff.

A Message for All Frontline Workplaces

This ruling reinforces that employers have a legal and moral duty to ensure workers are protected. In high-risk sectors, that duty requires proactive planning, transparent communication, and a strong commitment to health and safety.

For NUPE, the message is clear.

Frontline workers put themselves in complex dynamic situations to deliver essential public services. They deserve workplaces where risk is properly assessed, safety is taken seriously, and no worker is left in the dark about threats to their wellbeing.

Strong systems, strong leadership, and strong worker protections are not optional. They are fundamental to keeping frontline staff safe.