COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Manage Serious Safety Threats in Alcohol & Other Drugs Support course. This comprehensive program is designed to strengthen your ability to identify, assess and respond to critical safety risks affecting both clients and workers across residential, community and outreach AOD services.

This course begins by outlining the key categories of serious safety threats in AOD settings, clarifying legal, regulatory and duty-of-care obligations in AOD practice, defining the roles of clinicians, support workers, peer workers, outreach staff and managers, and explaining how risk assessment, safety planning, de-escalation, incident reporting and emergency response must work together as an integrated safety system.

Serious harm in AOD services frequently arises from overdose, poisoning and other substance-related events that can escalate rapidly to life-threatening emergencies. This section examines the risks associated with opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines and other depressants leading to respiratory depression, coma or death, and stimulant intoxication (such as methamphetamine or cocaine) causing agitation, hyperthermia, arrhythmias, stroke or sudden cardiac events. It also explores the heightened danger of poly-drug use (for example alcohol combined with benzodiazepines and opioids), the risk of unintentional overdose when usual doses are taken after a period of abstinence or detox due to lowered tolerance, poisoning from contaminated or adulterated street drugs such as fentanyl analogues and synthetic cannabinoids, and toxic reactions to unknown tablets, powders or liquids obtained online or on the street.

Withdrawal can itself be a major source of acute medical risk and is often a central focus of safety planning in AOD services. This section explores seizures, delirium tremens and cardiovascular complications in severe alcohol or sedative withdrawal, together with dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and malnutrition when clients are unable or unwilling to maintain adequate intake. It considers severe agitation, insomnia and suicidality during stimulant or poly-drug withdrawal, and how withdrawal can exacerbate existing physical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and epilepsy, requiring coordinated monitoring, medical review and timely escalation.

Violence, aggression and environmental risk are common safety concerns where intoxication, withdrawal, trauma and conflict overlap in shared AOD environments. This section examines the risk of clients being assaulted by other clients during conflict, intoxication or withdrawal, and injury from fights, pushing, shoving or property damage in group settings. It also addresses danger posed by aggressive visitors, partners or associates entering the service, and the likelihood of injury from thrown objects such as chairs, bottles, utensils, phones or personal items when tensions escalate.

Self-harm, suicide and other high-risk behaviours are critical safety threats that require vigilant assessment and compassionate, structured responses. This section explores self-inflicted cuts, burns, overdoses and ligature attempts during periods of high distress, and the increased suicide risk around key crisis points such as admission, early recovery, relationship breakdown, legal problems or loss of housing. It also examines injuries arising from reckless behaviour, including running into traffic, climbing to heights or jumping from structures, and emphasises the need for clear protocols, collaborative safety planning and rapid escalation pathways.

Hazardous substances, volatiles and fire risks can arise from both client behaviours and the materials present in AOD services. This section examines inhalation of volatile substances such as petrol, aerosols, glues and gases that can cause hypoxia, arrhythmias and brain injury, and exposure to cleaning chemicals or disinfectants if misused, ingested or mixed inappropriately. It also considers smoke inhalation and burns if fire is started intentionally or accidentally using aerosols, lighters or flammable liquids, and skin and eye irritation from strong sanitisers or disinfectants used in shared facilities where ventilation or handling is inadequate.

Infection, blood-borne viruses and general physical health issues are ongoing safety concerns in many AOD client populations. This section explores transmission risks for blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B/C from sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment, and skin and soft-tissue infections including abscesses, cellulitis and septic thrombophlebitis resulting from injecting practices. It considers endocarditis and systemic infections linked to non-sterile injecting, the spread of respiratory infections (including flu and COVID-type illnesses) in close-contact residential or group settings, and gastrointestinal infections arising from shared bathrooms, poor hygiene or contaminated food and water.

The physical environment and everyday safety conditions can either buffer or amplify risks for clients whose balance, cognition and awareness may be compromised by substances and withdrawal. This section examines slips, trips and falls on stairs, wet floors and uneven surfaces due to intoxication, sedation, withdrawal or poor balance, injuries from collapsing or fainting during overdose, withdrawal or hypotension, and burns and scalds from hot drinks, cooking equipment or cigarettes. It also considers cuts and bruises from broken glass, sharp edges and rough handling of doors or furniture, along with dehydration, heat stress or hypothermia in poorly heated or cooled buildings or when clients are sleeping rough.

Medication safety, drug–drug interactions and broader community safety risks are critical considerations wherever AOD issues intersect with pharmacotherapy and mental health treatment. This section explores adverse reactions or interactions between prescribed medicines and ongoing substance use (such as methadone, buprenorphine, antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines), and sedation, confusion and falls from high-dose psychotropics or PRNs combined with other drugs. It also examines overdose risks if opioid substitution therapy or other medicines are hoarded or diverted and taken in bulk, injury or death from driving under the influence or travelling as a passenger with an intoxicated driver, pedestrian injuries when clients step into traffic or misjudge hazards while intoxicated or distressed, and exposure to assault, robbery or other violence in public spaces when clients are intoxicated or unwell.

Psychological, emotional and trauma-related harm can be just as serious as physical risk and often underpins substance use patterns and crisis presentations. This section addresses severe anxiety, panic attacks and flashbacks, especially in early recovery or during crises, and the ways in which exposure to aggressive behaviour, loud arguments or coercive situations in services can re-traumatise clients with histories of violence and abuse. It also explores the impact of sleep disruption, nightmares and chronic insomnia on physical and mental health, and highlights the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive and recovery-oriented approaches to safety.

For workers, violence, aggression and challenging behaviour are prominent safety threats that must be managed at both individual and organisational levels. This section examines physical assault (including hitting, punching, kicking, biting, scratching, hair-pulling and spitting) by intoxicated, withdrawing or highly distressed clients, and the risks of being grabbed, pushed or cornered in offices, bathrooms, corridors or interview rooms. It also considers injuries from thrown objects such as chairs, bottles, cups, cutlery, phones or personal belongings, group escalation where conflict between clients quickly becomes a multi-person incident, and harassment or threats from clients, partners or associates during or after service contact.

Sharps, blood and infection exposure present significant occupational health risks in AOD work, particularly where injecting use is common and crises are frequent. This section explores needle-stick injuries from used needles, syringes, lancets or hidden sharps in bins, clothing, beds, gardens, toilets or outreach sites, and contact with blood and body fluids during overdose response, self-harm incidents or fights. It also examines blood-borne virus exposure (including HIV and hepatitis B/C) following sharps injuries or other high-risk incidents, respiratory infection risks from close contact in enclosed spaces, and gastrointestinal infections when cleaning contaminated areas during outbreaks or following vomiting or diarrhoea events.

Hazardous substances, chemicals and fire risks also affect workers, who may be exposed while maintaining environments, responding to crises or handling unknown materials. This section examines accidental skin or eye exposure to disinfectants, bleach, surface sprays and cleaning chemicals used heavily in AOD facilities, and inhalation of strong chemical fumes in small rooms, bathrooms or poorly ventilated spaces. It considers contact with unknown substances, powders or liquids in client homes, bags or shared areas, including the risk of irritation, poisoning or intoxication, exposure to highly potent opioids or synthetic substances when handling or disposing of small amounts or powder residues, and volatile substance fumes (such as petrol, aerosol propellants and solvents) in enclosed spaces during crisis or outreach work. The section also addresses burns from hot drinks, cooking equipment or cigarettes during busy shifts, increased fire risk from clients smoking in prohibited areas or misusing aerosols and lighters, and burns or smoke inhalation if small fires occur in bedrooms, bathrooms or common areas.

Manual handling, physical strain and slips, trips and falls are common but often under-recognised risks for AOD workers. This section looks at supporting or lowering a collapsing client during overdose, fainting or a seizure, and strain injuries when moving or repositioning heavily sedated or unresponsive clients. It explores risks associated with lifting or moving heavy sharps containers, equipment boxes, oxygen cylinders or outreach supplies, repetitive strain from setting up rooms, moving furniture, stacking chairs and managing activity spaces, and slips on wet floors in showers, bathrooms, kitchens or after cleaning spills in residential or detox units. The section also considers trips over bags, bedding on floors, extension cords, oxygen tubing or loose rugs, and falls on uneven surfaces, steps or poorly lit outdoor areas, especially during night shifts or outreach.

Community, home-visit and outreach environments introduce additional layers of complexity and unpredictability to worker safety. This section examines the risks of entering homes where there is active substance use, dealing, weapons or domestic violence, and being caught between clients and hostile partners, dealers or other associates. It considers dog bites or other animal-related injuries in homes or on the street, slips, trips and falls in cluttered, hoarded or structurally unsafe dwellings, and exposure to second-hand smoke (tobacco and other substances) in confined indoor or vehicle spaces, all of which require robust organisational protocols and sound individual judgement.

Driving, psychological stress, fatigue and burnout are cumulative threats that can undermine both safety and the quality of care if not addressed proactively. This section explores road accidents while driving between sites, on outreach or when transporting clients, and fatigue-related driving risk after long shifts, night duties or on-call work. It examines manual handling injuries when assisting clients and their belongings into or out of vehicles, chronic stress from repeated exposure to overdose, trauma, aggression and high-risk crises, vicarious trauma from hearing detailed histories of violence, abuse and loss, and the emotional impact of client overdose deaths, suicides or serious incidents. The section also considers burnout arising from high caseloads, crisis-driven work and limited recovery time, along with sleep disturbance, headaches, muscle tension and other physical signs of prolonged stress.

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with comprehensive knowledge, structured risk-assessment tools and practical intervention strategies to identify, manage and escalate serious safety threats in Alcohol & Other Drugs support, protecting both clients and workers while supporting safer, more stable and recovery-oriented AOD services.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Safety Threats in Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) Support Settings

• Key categories of serious safety threats in residential, community and outreach AOD services
• Legal, regulatory and duty-of-care obligations in AOD practice
• Roles of clinicians, support workers, peer workers, outreach staff and managers
• Risk assessment, safety planning, de-escalation, incident reporting and emergency response

2. Client Safety Threats – Overdose, Poisoning and Substance-Related Harm

• Use of opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines or other depressants leading to respiratory depression, coma or death
• Stimulant intoxication causing agitation, hyperthermia, arrhythmias, stroke or sudden cardiac events
• Poly-drug use greatly increasing overdose risk
• Taking usual doses after a period of abstinence or detox, leading to unintentional overdose due to lowered tolerance
• Poisoning from contaminated or adulterated street drugs
• Toxic reactions to unknown tablets, powders or liquids obtained online or on the street

3. Client Safety Threats – Withdrawal and Acute Medical Risks

• Seizures, delirium tremens and cardiovascular complications in severe alcohol or sedative withdrawal
• Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and malnutrition during withdrawal
• Severe agitation, insomnia and suicidality during stimulant or poly-drug withdrawal
• Exacerbation of existing physical conditions

4. Client Safety Threats – Violence, Aggression and Environmental Risk

• Being assaulted by other clients during conflict, intoxication or withdrawal
• Injury from fights, pushing, shoving or property damage in group settings
• Being harmed by aggressive visitors, partners or associates entering the service
• Injury from thrown objects such as chairs, bottles, utensils, phones or personal items

5. Client Safety Threats – Self-Harm, Suicide and High-Risk Behaviour

• Self-inflicted cuts, burns, overdoses and ligature attempts during high distress
• Increased suicide risk during crisis points
• Injury from reckless behaviour

6. Client Safety Threats – Hazardous Substances, Volatiles and Fire

• Inhalation of volatile substances causing hypoxia, arrhythmias and brain injury
• Exposure to cleaning chemicals or disinfectants if misused, ingested or mixed inappropriately
• Smoke inhalation and burns if fire is started intentionally or accidentally using aerosols, lighters or flammable liquids
• Skin and eye irritation from strong sanitisers or disinfectants in shared facilities

7. Client Safety Threats – Infection, Blood-Borne Viruses and Physical Health

• Blood-borne virus transmission from sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment
• Skin and soft-tissue infections from injecting
• Endocarditis and systemic infections from non-sterile injecting practices
• Respiratory infections spreading in close-contact residential or group settings
• Gastrointestinal infections from shared bathrooms, poor hygiene or contaminated food and water

8. Client Safety Threats – Physical Environment, Everyday Safety and Falls

• Slips, trips and falls due to intoxication, withdrawal, sedation or poor balance on stairs, wet floors and uneven surfaces
• Injuries from collapsing or fainting during overdose, withdrawal or hypotension
• Burns and scalds from hot drinks, cooking equipment or cigarettes
• Cuts and bruises from broken glass, sharp edges and rough handling of doors or furniture
• Dehydration, heat stress or hypothermia in poorly heated or cooled environments or when sleeping rough

9. Client Safety Threats – Medication, Interactions and Community Safety

• Adverse reactions or interactions between prescribed medicines and ongoing substance use
• Sedation, confusion and falls from high-dose psychotropics or PRNs combined with other drugs
• Overdose if opioid substitution therapy (OST) or other medicines are hoarded or diverted then taken in bulk
• Injury or death from driving under the influence or being a passenger with an intoxicated driver
• Pedestrian injuries
• Assault, robbery or other violence in public spaces when intoxicated or unwell

10. Client Safety Threats – Psychological, Emotional and Trauma-Related Harm

• Severe anxiety, panic attacks and flashbacks, especially in early recovery or during crisis
• Re-traumatisation when exposed to aggressive behaviour, loud arguments or coercive situations in services
• Sleep disruption, nightmares and chronic insomnia affecting physical and mental health

11. Worker Safety Threats – Violence, Aggression and Challenging Behaviour

• Physical assault by intoxicated, withdrawing or highly distressed clients
• Being grabbed, pushed or cornered in offices, bathrooms, corridors or interview rooms
• Injuries from thrown objects
• Group escalation where conflict between clients quickly becomes a multi-person incident
• Harassment or threats from clients, partners or associates during or after service contact

12. Worker Safety Threats – Sharps, Blood and Infection Exposure

• Needle-stick injuries from used needles, syringes, lancets or hidden sharps in bins, clothing, beds, gardens, toilets or outreach sites
• Contact with blood and body fluids during overdose response, self-harm incidents or fights
• Blood-borne virus exposure after sharps injuries or other high-risk exposures
• Respiratory infections from close contact in enclosed spaces
• Gastrointestinal infections when cleaning contaminated areas during outbreaks or after vomiting/diarrhoea events

13. Worker Safety Threats – Hazardous Substances, Chemicals and Fire Risks

• Accidental skin or eye exposure to disinfectants, bleach, surface sprays and cleaning chemicals used heavily in AOD facilities
• Inhalation of strong chemical fumes in small rooms, bathrooms or poorly ventilated areas
• Contact with unknown substances, powders or liquids in client homes, bags or shared areas
• Exposure to highly potent opioids or synthetic substances when handling or disposing of small amounts, especially powder residues
• Volatile substance fumes in enclosed spaces during crisis or outreach work
• Burns from hot drinks, cooking equipment or cigarettes during busy shifts
• Fire risk from clients smoking in prohibited areas, using lighters near oxygen or flammable products, or misusing aerosols
• Burns and smoke inhalation if small fires occur in bedrooms, bathrooms or common areas

14. Worker Safety Threats – Manual Handling, Physical Strain and Slips/Trips/Falls

• Supporting or lowering a collapsing client during overdose, fainting or a seizure
• Strain injuries when moving or repositioning heavily sedated or unresponsive clients
• Lifting or moving heavy sharps containers, equipment boxes, oxygen cylinders or outreach supplies
• Repetitive strain from setting up rooms, moving furniture, stacking chairs and managing activity spaces
• Slips on wet floors in residential or detox units
• Trips over bags, bedding on floors, extension cords, oxygen tubing or loose rugs
• Falls on uneven surfaces, steps or poorly lit outdoor areas, especially during night shifts or outreach

15. Worker Safety Threats – Community, Home-Visit and Outreach Environments

• Entering homes where there is active substance use, dealing, weapons or domestic violence
• Being caught between clients and hostile partners, dealers or other associates
• Dog bites or other animal-related injuries in homes or on the street
• Slips, trips and falls in cluttered, hoarded or structurally unsafe dwellings
• Exposure to second-hand smoke in confined indoor or vehicle spaces

16. Worker Safety Threats – Driving, Psychological Stress, Fatigue and Burnout

• Road accidents while driving between sites, on outreach or when transporting clients
• Fatigue-related driving risk after long shifts, night shifts or on-call work
• Manual handling injuries when assisting clients and their belongings into or out of vehicles
• Chronic stress from repeated exposure to overdose, trauma, aggression and high-risk crises
• Vicarious trauma from hearing detailed histories of violence, abuse and loss
• Emotional impact of client overdose deaths, suicides or serious incidents
• Burnout from high caseloads, crisis-driven work and limited recovery time
• Sleep disturbance, headaches, muscle tension and other physical signs of prolonged stress

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.