Guard outside Masterton ACC office

ON GUARD: An Allied Security guard stands outside the Masterton branch office of ACC. PHOTO/CHERIE TAYLOR

As a precaution a security guard has been placed outside the Masterton branch office of ACC for the safety of both staff and clients in the wake of the shooting of the two Ashburton Work and Income employees.

ACC senior media adviser Stephanie Melville said the guards had been in place outside 30 sites throughout the country between the hours of 8am and 5.30pm as a precaution.

"They will be there until further notice ... it is in response to what happened in Ashburton," she said.

Ashburton Winz office workers Peg Noble, 67, and Susan Leigh Cleveland, 55, were gunned down and killed two weeks ago as they went about their normal work day. The incident resulted in a huge public outcry of support for frontline staff and resulted in a beef up of security at Winz offices throughout the country.

Russell John Tully, a Winz client, has been charged in relation to the Ashburton deaths.

Ms Melville said they were protecting everyone by placing guards outside ACC offices.

In the past ACC staff have also been subject to violence from clients.

In 1999 schizophrenic Johnny Manu stabbed ACC worker Janet Pike to death.

"God forbid someone who walks into one of offices and finds themselves in this situation," she said.