Workplace disaster recovery : the Melbourne Queen Street tragedy.

Bibliography: p. 40-43

The worst individual homicide in Victoria's history occurred on 8 December 1987 when a deranged university student killed 8 workers and wounded 5 more in a shooting spree inside a large office building in downtown Melbourne, before suiciding from an elevated window. The physical, organisational and community context are summarised, followed by a description of responses and interventions during the initial ten days, and thence to the first anniversary and beyond, with special reference to Australia Post's involvement, as the building's principal and most-affected tenant. Facets of managerial response reviewed include relationships with police and media, availability and utilisation of outside assistance, group trauma debriefings, funeral and memorial church services, relocation of affected staff and refurbishment of workplaces, physical security, provision of individual counselling support services, organisational rehabilitation, manaagement of participation in a 16 day coronial inquest, and choice of a suitable tangible memorial to the tragedy's victims. Financial and risk management/loss control consideration are also addressed, along with the interaction of organisational change and other subsequent events with the trauma recovery process. Magnificent assistance rendered by various persons and agencies is acknowledged, and disaster preparedness and recovery contacts applicable to Victoria are cited. Reflections and implications for other contexts are discussed