ACC has set up a top-secret national unit to manage the caseload of claimants considered too risky for its workers to deal with in person.
The unit has been set up at a secret location after the fatal stabbing of ACC worker Janet Pike in the Henderson office in West Auckland in June last year.
She was murdered by claimant Johnny Manu, a diagnosed schizophrenic who visited the office claiming he was owed $350. He is now serving a life sentence.
About 30 threatening claimants are being handled by the remote claim unit in a location known only to a few in ACC management.
National security manager Quentin Doig, employed a year ago, screens clients to see if they meet the strict criteria for special management.
He said the unit's clients typically exhibit behaviour seen as potentially threatening to staff, or have historically behaved in a threatening way.
"Unfortunately, we live in an aggressive society," said Mr Doig, a former head of the Wellington CIB.
"We have a responsibility to provide good case management to our claimants, but we also have a responsibility to protect our staff. ACC is determined not to have another member of staff injured or killed at work."
Cases being handled by the unit are reviewed annually to see if they continue to meet the criteria.
"We are still trying to provide the necessary care and support for them," Mr Doig said.
The unit was tried out early last year before the murder, but was formalised after Mrs Pike's death.
An Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) investigation into the homicide recommended that ACC enforce its safety procedures and make personal alarms mandatory for staff. It found that security measures were not taken on the day of Mrs Pike's murder.
A closed-circuit television system was not on, Mrs Pike did not take her portable panic button with her, and she should have been accompanied by another worker.
OSH cleared ACC in respect of the Health and Safety in Employment Act.
The death prompted security upgrades at ACC branch offices, overseen by Mr Doig. Staff now wear personal alarms when interviewing claimants and are trained in how to respond when alarms are activated.
They also receive training on recognising aggressive behaviour in clients, and in calming techniques.
Closed-circuit television sets are fitted in reception areas as a deterrent and to record any incidents that occur.
Branches are also covered by security guards and intruder alarms at night.
Mr Doig said ACC staff were regularly threatened by clients. About one complaint a month was serious enough to be reported to the police.
ACC is now looking at the privacy issues of sharing information on potentially dangerous clients with other agencies which may be involved with them, such as the Inland Revenue Department, Child Youth and Family Services and Work and Income New Zealand.
- NZPA
Secret unit set up for risky ACC claimants
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