24-year-old Irrinni worked at an OTR in Morphett Vale for nine months between 2023 and 2024.
While Irrinni had previously worked in retail and supermarkets, working in petrol was unlike other any other job she’d had before.
“Theft and abuse were a regular occurrence at my workplace and I was constantly anxious while at work.”
“I only worked in the daytime and still feared for my safety every shift.”
Irrinni’s fears all came to a head in December last year when she was physically assaulted by a customer.
A customer was frustrated that we wouldn’t give him a refund. He started becoming physically violent, punching the counter and threw a metal straw dispenser at my face. The dispenser hit me in the face and split my upper lip.
“This incident caused me a lot of distress for the rest of my employment.”
“When customers would come in and start yelling or becoming aggressive, it made me really anxious and would start physically shaking.”
“It was really difficult for me to feel safe after this and the anxiety contributed to my decision to quit.”
1 in 10 petrol station workers have experienced or witnessed theft or assault in their workplace.
“It felt like there was nothing we could really do about theft or abuse, we just had to cop it.”
“Stronger protections are absolutely necessary to keep workers safe.”
“Having screens between us and customers and a night pay window would be so worthwhile and reduce so much risk.”
No worker – in any industry – should have to worry if they’re going to come home safely.
The SDA is calling for more action to be taken to keep workers like Irrinni safe.
To protect workers, we’re calling for stronger security measures across all petrol stations including
- The installation of safety screens to create a barrier between customers and workers
- Secondary exits that are accessible by workers
- Night windows to be mandatory when working alone
- Secure cash machines
- Better CCTV and surveillance measures