Health and Safety guide for new retail

workers
Responsibilities of workers

Having knowledge and following the health and safety requirements within the job is
important. Before starting work for a novice or new worker, training on health safety is
mandatory.

The main task is to work safe and encourage others as well.

Correcting unsafe work conditions like loose electric wires, spillage, wet floors must be
reported to supervisor.

For injuries immediate attention must be brought to manager or first aid provider.

While taking initiative suggestions for health and safety must be improved. For the first time
workers reading WorksafeBC publication is essential for a survivor tool kit for younger
workers.

Manager responsibilities

Instruction for safe working procedures must be maintained by manager and for co-workers.
Manager should train you for all the health safety needs and monitor your work closely.
Managers must also see that only trained workers should handle tools and machines,
chemicals or equipment. Moreover proper safety, storage, handling and maintenance of the
equipment must be made. All health requirements must be enforced. All unsafe acts must be
corrected. Workers having issues must be identified to act safety within the workplace. The
managers should also follow with referrals and interviews, and formulate rules and health
safety within workplace from hazards.

What if some of the practices within workplace goes wrong?

Who should you be talking to if some things happen out of normal in workplace?

All safety concerns and issues must be addressed to supervisor or manager.

What if you get some injury while doing job?

Any form of injury during work by law should be directly reported to manager and first aid
attendant intimated for providing medical help.

Handling and lifting materials

Many medical issues like sprain, strain, cuts, bruises, neck back injury, hernia or broken
bones result from improperly handling or lifting things. Moreover these injuries can affect a
person’s life.

Safety tip

Instead of carrying or lifting heavy objects, mechanical devices like lifts, forklifts, hoists,
dollies or carts can be used.

Moreover while lifting twisting back or shoulder should not be done.

Getting other’s help is necessary.

Slips, falls, trips

These occasions of slips, falls occur commonly in retail sector. The examples include falling
on slippery floors, freshly washed floors, water from rain or slippery work area behind
counters.

Shoplifting, robbery

The real concern during robbery is your wellbeing, and wellbeing of customers and other
workers. People cannot be replaced even through merchandises or money can automatically
be replaced.

Prevent shoplifting

While working alone, shoplifting can increase.

While spotting someone shoplifting, calling security, manager, or supervisor is essential.

Apprehending or catching a shoplifter alone can be problematic for a new worker, and after
shoplifter leaves, detailed expression of the person must be written down. Their weight,
height, features, clothes, vehicles, color of vehicle, plate number, year and other details can
be written so that authorities can easily identify them.

Preventing robbery

Preventing injury from robbery can be done by preventing the act of robbery in itself.

The basic tips to protect new retail workers are:

Keeping stores neat, clean, tidy and well lit.

Instead of waiting behind counter when no customers are present, dusting, sweeping and
cleaning activities must be done.

When there are no customers, sitting behind counter must be avoided.

Keeping balance funds within the cash register to low level is a must, and asking exact bills
and small change from customers is needed.

Keeping store well lit and stocked is important.

The store windows and glasses should not have signs or posters that reduces visibility
outside, or reduces visibility for police and authority to see inside going on.

Having concern over any person specifically or any vehicle which has been on watch can be
reported to police or to the manager. Moreover these details can be given to the local
authorities, for which location of police station or phones outside retail store must be known.

Connecting with the customers

Asking customers in aisle for any form of help

If robbery happens, the useful tips include:

Keeping situation short and giving what is asked as loner time makes robber impatient and
nervous.

Keeping calm and handling situation like any normal sales for another customer

Obeying the orders of the robber, so that intention of cooperation can be seen Doing exactly
as per orders of robber, handing cash or merchandises is important to save lives.
Asking what robber wants.

Instead of fighting with robber and acting hero, assuming robber does not have weapons also
is a mistake and can take potential lives.

As soon as robber leaves writing down as per information about the traits of the robber is
important. The face, height, weight, structure, clothes, behavior, weapons or vehicles any
information is important.

Dialing emergency number of 111 and contacting police authority is needed.

Fire

Fire might start from different occasions including from cigarettes, heating systems, short
circuit, coolers, cooking, from electric appliances, improper storage of inflammable
substances, chemicals or from poor housekeeping. Uncontrollable fire can be prevented by
quick actions by the trained staffs.

Checking all building processes for fire, and doing all necessary steps is necessary. Following
points to be remembered:

Having evacuation plan of building and reviewing it

Knowing all locations of the fire extinguishers and exit routes

Keeping exit routes clean

Sounding alarm when nearest spot has caught fire

Using smoke detectors

Using fire extinguishers after being trained

Handling money

Handling money might increase chances of potential violence. For handling money
supervisor and manager should provide enough training in order to ensure none of the money
goes amiss.

Safety tips

Instead of handling money near exit or entrances, the best place is in cash counter.
Cash register should have less cash to prevent issues like robberies.

Large bills and the day’s sum should be kept out of sight in hard box or in safes.

Harassment

Harassment is considered unwelcome behavior or verbal communication which is not good

for work environment. The different forms of harassment include verbal insult, humiliation,
maliciousness, and degrading, offensive comment towards community or individuals. Also,
sexual harassment, bullying or offensive displays are other forms. The health of the
workplace is compromised when such harassment also includes physical violent behavior.

Safety tip

The first step is to verbally tell the harasser to stop the abuse, and if this does not work the
next three steps must be followed.

The harassment should be handled by the person recruited for dealing with such ethical
issues. So intimating them is option1.

Each remarks made by the harasser should be written down or recorded so that enough proof
is vetted out, including words, sentences, date, time, name of witness, place etc.