Bondi Incident: Supporting Worker Wellbeing and Safe Workplaces

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragic incident in Bondi on Sunday, 14 December. This has been a deeply distressing time for the local community, and many workers and businesses may be experiencing ongoing emotional and psychological impacts.

Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event can be overwhelming. It can affect concentration, decision-making, relationships at work and overall wellbeing. For employers, this highlights the importance of strong WHS management systems, clear policies and procedures, and practical support for psychological health and safety in the workplace. Resources to help strengthen these frameworks are available online, including specialist WHS management systems and policy tools such as those offered at BlueSafe.

SafeWork NSW is offering free programs to support NSW small and medium sized businesses (fewer than 200 workers) and NSW not-for-profit organisations. These initiatives are designed to assist employers in supporting the psychological health and safety of their workers following traumatic events, and to embed safer work practices into everyday operations.

Eligible businesses and organisations can access this support through SafeWork NSW’s free training and coaching services. These services can help leaders, supervisors and health and safety representatives to better recognise signs of distress, respond appropriately, and integrate psychological risk management into their existing WHS systems and safe work method statements (SWMS).

SafeWork NSW has also produced an Information Sheet on developing a Traumatic Event Management Plan (PDF, 627.44 KB). This guidance helps workplaces to establish a structured response before, during and after a traumatic incident. It focuses on creating a supportive environment, encouraging open and respectful conversations, and ensuring workers can be connected quickly with professional help if needed.

By incorporating a Traumatic Event Management Plan into broader WHS policies and procedures, workplaces can improve preparedness, reduce confusion during critical incidents, and demonstrate due diligence in managing both physical and psychological risks. Further WHS policy and procedure resources are available from providers such as BlueSafe, which can complement SafeWork NSW guidance.

SafeWork NSW will continue to work with the community to ensure that those impacted by the Bondi incident are provided with practical, evidence-based support. This includes ongoing access to information, advisory services and tools that help employers meet their duty of care and support workers’ recovery.

Additional helpful resources, including information about support services and a condolence book, are available at nsw.gov.au/bondi-beach-attack. Workplaces are encouraged to share these resources with workers and to maintain open communication, regular check-ins and a supportive culture as the community continues to recover.