Safety Technical Bulletin

Retail Stores

Workplace Safety Tips

Retail Stores provide several potential workplace hazards that can cause serious injury to stock personnel, cashiers, and clerical employees in the retail sales industry.

FFVA-MIC Loss Control Consultants can assist you in evaluating your workplace exposures and provide you with appropriate loss control recommendations.

RETAIL STORE – WORKPLACE EXPOSURES 

• Robbery & theft exposure
• Falls from elevations
• Lacerations and contusions
• Repetitive motion strains
• Lifting strains & sprains
• Slips & falls
• Trips & falls
• Crushing type injuries

DEVELOPING A LOSS CONTROL PROGRAM

To successfully implement a workplace safety program, management must be willing to reduce and eliminate workplace injuries. There has to be a 100% commitment to establish an injury free work environment.

STOCK PERSON – WORKPLACE SAFETY TIPS

• A safety training program should be in place for all new hires that teaches the hazards of the job the new hire will be preforming.
• Proper lifting training should be provided such as:
• Check the weight first to determine if assistance is needed.
• Place feet close to the object, bend knees, keep back straight.
• Lift with legs.
• Keep the load close to the body without twisting or turning.
• Set the load down slowly in reverse order of lifting.
• Lift mechanically versus manually whenever possible.
• To avoid trip and fall injuries, all aisles and passageways should be kept clear of stock material.
• Any spills of liquid material should be cleaned immediately and wet floor signs displayed.
• Non-skid footwear is recommended to reduce potential for slip and fall injuries .
• When using ladders for stocking shelves, make sure ladders have proper non-skid feet.
• All forklift operators should be trained and certified under the Federal OSHA guidelines.
• Ensure that all stock employees are trained in the proper use of box cutting knives.
• Emphasis should be placed on cutting away from body, especially hands and arms.
• Employees authorized to operate box crushing machines should receive proper training on machine operation:
• Refer to operator’s manual for proper instruction.
• Avoid placing hands and arms in machine when power is on.
• Weight limit signs should be posted on all shelving to reduce potential for falling material and shelf collapse.

• Computer workstations should be inspected to ensure that monitors, keyboards and chair adjustments match the physical characteristics of the employee.
• Encourage office employees to look away periodically from monitors to allow eyes to refocus.
• All file drawers should be kept closed when not in use. It reduces the potential for lacerations and contusions.
• Floor mats should be inspected for curled or frayed corners. Replace when necessary to reduce trip and fall injuries.

SALES PERSONNEL – WORKPLACE SAFETY TIPS

• Ensure that proper stepladders or elevated work platforms are used to retrieve merchandise from elevated shelves.
• All customer service and cash register locations should be equipped with shock absorbing floor mats to reduce potential for ankle, knee, and back strains.
• Periodic breaks and job rotation should be encouraged.
• All customer complaints should be referred to management for resolution.

CRIME EXPOSURE-WORKPLACE SAFETY TIPS

• All sales check-out personnel should receive training in proper handling of potential robbery situations:
• Emphasis should be placed on keeping small amounts of cash in registers.
• Instruction should be given to hand over the monies when confronted by robbery suspect.
• Never attempt to confront robbery suspects.
• Management should establish security procedures for making bank deposits such as:
• Bank deposit times should be staggered to avoid predictable patterns.
• Armored car service should be utilized when practical.
• Nighttime employees should be encouraged to leave in small groups to get to personal vehicles.
• Employee vehicles should be parked in areas with good lighting and as close to the building as possible.
• At the completion of regular store hours, all doors should be closed and locked immediately.
• All doors should be equipped with double cylinder dead bolt locks.

Related Links

• www.NSC.org
• www.OSHA.gov