Loading The growing problem was also raised at the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) annual general meeting last week as an emerging crisis management issue which had potential to damage retail brands. ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman said his association was "very aware of the problems surrounding abuse". "I know that unions and industry associations don't always agree, but this is one area where we absolutely support them," he said. "We are seeing more and more abuse happen in the lead up to Christmas.

"It's not just fast food, it happens everywhere." Mr Zimmerman said the ARA was training and educating staff and talking to a number of companies about ways that staff can be trained try to diffuse potentially abusive customer conduct. The ARA has received a report of a customer picking up and throwing a cash register after being unable to pay for food using a direct bank transfer instead of cash or credit card. Mr Zimmerman said another customer "put a retail manager in hospital" after she used an incorrect filter in a dryer and demanded it be replaced instead of repaired. Katrina Morris was abused by a customer because the soft serve machine had broken down. Credit:Louise Kennerley Katrina Morris, 37, from Engadine, who has worked in the fast-food industry for 13 years said she was abused by a customer last week because the soft serve machine had broken down.

"She abused me because I made her three-year-old son cry because he couldn't have his softserve cone," she said. "It made me feel like crap and like I didn't want to work anymore and like I wanted to go home then and there." On another occasion, Ms Morris said a 16-year-old customer put one of her colleagues in a headlock and stuffed a chicken burger into her face because it had gone cold. "The customer had let it sit there for half an hour and then demanded a new one," the staff member said. Zackary Stereff

Zackary Stereff from central Queensland said he was physically abused at a fast food drive through. "I asked for the correct money and the customer threw a black sock full of 50 cent pieces into my stomach," he said. "It left me with a bruise. "It was scary and something I wouldn't have expected. "I've also had cold drinks thrown at me."

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) national secretary Gerard Dwyer said the union was appalled by the many reports it has received. “Abusive and violent customer behaviour is a serious workplace health and safety issue that impacts the mental and physical health of fast food workers,” Mr Dwyer said. “It’s clear that on a daily basis, fast food workers are being subjected to constant verbal abuse, threats of violence and in some cases, actual physical assault. “Our message to the public is that this behaviour has got to stop. Copping abuse is not part of the job. No one deserves a serve.” NSW Labor's spokesman for industrial relations, Adam Searle, said workplace safety should be a key priority for employers and government.

Loading "I will seek a response from the workplace safety regulator to see what steps are being taken to address this vile abuse and threats to physical and emotional safety of workers," Mr Searle said. "NSW Labor is committed to working with the union and employers to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour." Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said "no worker should be put in harm’s way or subjected to violence in the workplace, whether it’s from colleagues, clients or customers". “We can’t always control other people’s behaviour, however death threats and abuse should not be tolerated. These are in many cases criminal and should be immediately reported to authorities.

“Employers and business owners have a legal responsibility to keep their workers safe." A spokeswoman for SafeWork NSW said employers and business owners have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their workers and others in the workplace. "This includes ensuring workers are not put in physical or psychological harm because of their work," the spokeswoman said. "Work-related violence is any incident in which someone is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. It includes a broad range of actions and behaviours that can create a risk to the health and safety of workers. This includes verbal and physical abuse." Dominos and Hungry Jacks declined to comment.