What is a duress alarm and is it required for lone workers under Australian law?
A duress alarm allows a worker to discreetly signal that they are in danger or feel threatened[cite: 652]. Where aggression is a foreseeable risk, duress capability is expected as a control under WHS law [cite: 653].
Duress Alarms and the Australian WHS Framework
Unlike man down alarms, duress is deliberately triggered by the worker in response to threats or aggression[cite: 656]. For roles involving public contact or home visits, this is a foreseeable risk that must be managed [cite: 658].
Roles Where Duress Capability Is Particularly Important
- Community services and home support workers [cite: 660]
- After-hours retail and hospitality staff [cite: 661]
- Real estate agents on inspections [cite: 662]
- Healthcare workers in community roles [cite: 663]
- Security and enforcement staff [cite: 664]
Guardian Angel Safety’s duress alerts are silent and notify our monitoring centre instantly[cite: 666, 667].