Safety in Retail

1. Safety in Retail Mrs. Randi O’Moore Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center Westbury, Long Island, New York

2. Training Areas • Customer Service • Cash Register Use • Scanning Purchases • Grocery Bagger • Inventory Counting • Tagging/Pricing • Security/Theft • Collecting Shopping Carts

3. Pre-Test • _____ It’s uncomfortable standing at the register for several hours at a time. • _____ It doesn’t matter how you lift heavy items, as long as you do your job. • _____ Using a cash register can’t hurt me. • _____ Anyone of any age can work at a deli and use a slicing machine. • _____ Anyone of any age can use the box crusher (compactor).

4. Pre-Test Answer Key 1- True 2- False 3- False 4- False 5- False

5. Retail Dress Code • Ask your manager or supervisor when you are hired what the dress code is in that store. • Once hired, keep an eye on the dress of your co-workers and use it as a guide. • There is often a rule of no jeans or sneakers in retail stores. • There is often a smock, vest, or shirt issued with the store name on it. It also may have your name on it as well. Wear it each day you work.

6. Retail Equipment • Cash Registers & Scanners • Box Compactors • Trash Compactors • Meat Slicers • Constant Lifting & Twisting • Shopping Carts

7. Electrical Most retail equipment use electric to work. You can get injured by these items. • Cash Registers/Scanners • Trash Compactors • Fork Lifts

8. Fire Emergency • According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration: “Workplace fires and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5,000 workers each year.” “Fires wreak havoc among workers and their families and destroy thousands of businesses each year, putting people out of work and severely impacting their livelihoods.” “In a workplace fire being able to evacuate quickly can mean the difference between life or death. Workers may only have seconds to safety evacuate a burning building.”

9. Evacuation Safety Points If you are escaping from a building: • Know your escape route • Don’t use elevators or escape to the roof • Close all doors behind you to slow the spread of a fire • The smoke is often the most hazardous part of a fire. If it is smoky, stay close to the floor; crawl if necessary. • Don’t open a door if it feels hot

10. Floors, Doors, Exits • Know where all of the fire exits are in case of a fire or other emergency. • Stear clear of slippery floors; you don’t want to fall and get hurt. • Some doors are only to be used in an emergency; an alarm may sound when these doors are opened.

11. Chemical Hazards • Most retail stores are in “closed” buildings, where windows cannot be opened easily. Indoor air pollution is a possible hazard. • Some retail stores sell cleaning solutions. Be careful not to smell these or get them on your clothing or skin. • Polluted air can be drawn into a building via the air intakes. Gases are particles from truck exhausts, as well as pollutants from the area are common indoor air pollutants.

12. Ergonomic Hazards • Always bend at the knees when lifting heavy items from the floor. You can hurt your back. • Checkstands that require the checker to unload groceries are strenuous to the shoulders and back. A workstation that allows for alternating between sitting and standing is important, as is room to move about without awkward motions. • Lifting groceries into a bag positioned on top of the checkstand is very stressful to the shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

13. Infectious Diseases • Wherever fresh meats and seafood are sold, diseases are of concern. • There are temperature requirements for these items. • Stay away from these departments and items if you are not working in the department.

14. Your Safety at Work According to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union: • Annually, almost 1 million people are victims of violent crime at work. • The retail industry has an above-average risk for violence in the workplace, due in part to the possibility of robbery at retail stores. Stock handlers, baggers, sales supervisors and sales clerks are among the top five occupations at risk of violence in the workplace.

15. Workplace Violence • Verbal threats • Abusive behavior • Physical violence or assault • Sexual harassment • Rape • Robbery • Murder

16. Repetitive Motion IIlnesses These crippling ailments of the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and back come from jobs which require repeating the same motion many times during a shift. Tendinitis DeQuervain’s Disease Tensoynovitis Thoractic Outlet Syndrome Carpel Tunnel Syndrome Trigger Finger Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

17. Angry Customers • Since most retail employees deal with customers, they will inevitably come across an unhappy customer. • Deal with all customers with respect and dignity… no matter how they are treating you. • If you are unable to assist them to their satisfaction, have the customer speak with a store manager.

18. Always Report an Injury • All injuries that occur at work should be reported to your supervisor as soon after they occur as possible. • An incident report should be completed on each incident, no matter how minimal it may seem.

19. Post-Test Questions • _____ Know where all emergency exits are. • _____ Working in retail is sometimes dangerous. • _____ Placing groceries into bags for customers can be strenuous on your body. • _____ Using a cash register is in no way dangerous to your health. • _____ Do not use elevators during a fire evacuation. • _____ Report all accidents to a supervisor immediately. • _____ Slippery floors can be dangerous. • _____ Checkout stands can be strenuous on your shoulders and back. • _____ A trash compactor is only dangerous if you aren’t careful. • _____ It’s important to know what to do in an emergency.

20. Post-Test Answers 1- True 2- True 3- True 4- False 5- True 6- True 7- True 8- True 9- False 10- True

21. Safety Web Resources www.ufcw.org/workplace_connections/ www.rwdsu.org/health_safety.html

22. Retail is a wonderful industry to work in. Just… Be Careful and Be Safe.