The Tasmanian Government's new safety measures for paramedics have been labelled “window dressing”.

The Government is introducing legislation to impose a minimum sentence of six months in jail for people who seriously assault a frontline worker.

The laws match existing ones for assaults on police officers, which have not yet used to sentence anyone.

But Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin says the rules work.

“We are talking about quite a serious offence here and it's appropriate a minimum mandatory sentence of six months does apply to a serious assault and not a minor assault,” Ms Goodwin said.

“We don't think we've set the bar too high.

“We believe it's unacceptable for frontline workers to be seriously assaulted.”

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch said the laws were not likely to make workers safer.

“I don't think this legislation has been effective for police offices and I think it'll be even less effective for correctional officers,” Mr Lynch told the ABC.

“This legislation does nothing for the assaults that have occurred in the last year because none of them met the legal definition of serious bodily harm, despite people having broken cheek bones and lacerations.

“I think it's window dressing, I think the Government should have continued a dialogue to use all the tools at their avail to make a real impact on safety.”

The Law Society of Tasmania says mandatory sentences can unfairly burden prosecutors, arguing that courts should make the decisions on penalties.