Retail

If you operate in the retail sector, not only do you have to consider the safety of your workforce but that of the general public visitor your premises.

Previous years have reported over 13,000 work related accidents in the retail sector with over 2000 of these being classified as major accidents such as fractures or broken bones.

The most common causes of accidents are listed below, if you are not certain if you are manging these risks appropriately then we are happy to complete a free of charge assessment of your premises to provide you with a report of any areas of concern.

Slips & Trips

This is the most common cause of injury in the retail trade with over a 1000 reported major injuries reported, over half of these were within the food / supermarket based stores. Sales Assistants are found to be the most likely to be at risk and the most likely causes are:

• smooth cleaned floors being left wet with no warning signs
• spills not cleaned up quickly of effectively
• failing to keep the floor clean from contamination

Do your Safety processes take the above into account and are your staf adequately trained to minimise these risks?

Manual Handling

The HSE define manual handling as:

'Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing or pulling. But it’s not just a case of ‘pulling something’ due to the weight of the item, although this can be a cause of injury. Injuries can be caused because of the amount of times you have to pick up or carry an item, the distance you are carrying it, the height you are picking it up from or putting it down at (picking it up from the floor, putting it on a shelf above shoulder level) and any twisting, bending stretching or other awkward posture you may get in whilst doing a task.

Manual handling is one of the most common causes of injury at work and causes over a third of all workplace injuries which include work related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as upper and lower limb pain/disorders, joint and repetitive strain injuries of various.

Manual handling injuries can occur almost anywhere in the workplace and heavy manual labour, awkward postures and previous or existing injury can increase the risk. Work related manual handling injuries can have serious implications for both the employer and the person who has been injured. Employers may have to bear substantial costs, through lost production, sickness absence costs of retraining, wages/overtime to cover for the absent person and potentially compensation payments. The injured person may find that their ability to do their job is affected and there may be an impact on their lifestyle, leisure activities, ability to sleep and future job prospects.

It is essential therefore that employers manage the risks to their employees. If possible you should not carry out any manual handling tasks. Where these are necessary mitigate the risk by using some equipment - trollies, fork lift truck etc.

Where tasks are essential and cannot be done using lifting equipment, conveyors or wheeled trollies/cages, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment should be conducted. We provide risk assessments and training on Manual Handling for your staff to ensure that you are effectively managing this risk.

Falls from Height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 detail the necessary steps you should be taking as an employer.

The Regulations apply to all work at height where there is risk of a fall that is liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed and any person who controls the work of others (such as facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height).

As part of the Regulations, dutyholders must ensure:

• all work at height is properly planned and organised
• those involved in work at height are competent
• the risks from work at height are assessed, and appropriate work equipment is selected and used
• the risks of working on or near fragile surfaces are properly managed
• the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained

There is a simple hierarchy for managing work at height and selecting the appropriate access equipment.

Dutyholders must:

• avoid work at height where possible, for example doing the work from ground level
• use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls, where work at height cannot be avoided
• use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of potential falls, where the risk cannot be eliminated

To arrange a free review of your retail premises contact us on 0844 8797286