There are strict security protocols in your workplace. The front doors are automated and automatically unlock at 9am and lock at 5.30pm. Staff can access the building out of hours by swiping their access card. The building is alarmed, but all staff have their own code and can disable the alarm on entry.

The front door can be locked by pressing a button at the reception desk. The door is locked anytime the reception desk is unattended. Clients or visitors can press the button at the door to alert employees to their presence.

The waiting/reception area and the staff office areas are separate. Workers must come to reception to greet their clients and take them to their office. Clients are escorted out to the waiting/reception area once their visit is complete. The door between the two areas is unlocked using the same swipe card for the front door. This stops any unauthorised access and keeps staff safe.

Today the door to the staff area is malfunctioning. It keeps locking and unlocking on its own and a red light flashes - everyone can hear the beeping of the mechanism when it locks and unlocks. It's starting to drive everyone mad!

The supervisor makes some calls and informs everyone that the usual maintenance company is unable to come today. The other repairer in town is more expensive, so they will need to wait until the usual one can come. In the meantime, staff are asked to keep an eye on the door and observe the area for unauthorised access.

The reception area is to remain attended at all times to avoid the risk of clients in the waiting room accessing the staff area.

Later that day you hear someone scream and something being smashed. Everyone goes running to the source of the sound. One of your colleagues is in their office backed against the wall. One of her young clients is in her office and has swiped the items on her desk onto the floor. They have picked up a chair and are yelling and screaming at her. It is hard to understand much of what the client is saying through all the chaos, but you know they are threatening your colleague.

The chair is thrown and hits your colleague on the arm. The situation is taken care of quickly, but everyone is shaken up. Your colleague is taken to the local GP as it is suspected she may have a fracture.

It is discovered that the reception desk was left unattended. The receptionist called the office manager and said she needed to go to the bathroom, but she didn't want to leave the desk unattended because of the door not working properly. She was told to go but be as quick as possible - the waiting room had quite a few people in it and the manager said no one would attempt to get through the door with so many other clients watching. It's obvious that this client (who appears to have come off their medication) overheard the conversation.

a) Explain the responsibility of the supervisor and the office manager for health and safety in the service.

b) Do you think the supervisor and office manager have met their duty of care obligations? Explain your answer.

c) What could the receptionist have done differently in this situation that may have stopped the incident from occurring?

d) What do you think the supervisor should have done when the door malfunction was identified?