Barriers keep threats, flu and cold at bay

[2008-5-15]

Tag: Cold Press

The plastic screens were installed at a cost of $11,600 after incidents in which customers abused staff working at the payment and information counters in the Tuam Street council building.

Council customer services general manager David Dally said staff were "ecstatic" about the "cheap-as-chips" screens.

"We have had a few incidents, nothing really bad, but staff have felt threatened.

"We have some interesting people coming in from time to time and staff can feel quite threatened. Some customers can get quite threatening and staff feel a lot more protected if there is a physical barrier.

"It provides that level of protection. They feel so much safer because they have got barriers," he said.

Dally said there had not been any assaults but some people had been abusive to counter staff.

Customer services team leader Margaret Finnie said that rather than rate rises and higher rents, the main trigger of angry outbursts was parking tickets.

"Everybody who works in the public arena is a little vulnerable at times. It is not just customers - a number of people wandering the streets come in sometimes," she said.

The barriers also have been installed to tackle a more insidious threat - bird flu.

The gap in the transparent plastic barriers could be sealed in the event of a pandemic so staff could still deliver vital services without the risk of infection, Dally said.

"When the pandemic arrives we will very easily be able to place a physical barrier to control contact ... so if customers have the virus it will not affect people on the other side of the barrier. It is future proofing and forward planning," he said.

The barriers have had an unexpected side-effect for staff.

Customer service representative Shirley Christensen said they were attractive and kept out the winter draughts.

"It is even warmer in the winter."