One of the most common hazards at any workplace is the risk of slips, trips, and falls. This risk doesn’t discriminate and can happen to employees and customers, causing serious harm or injury and leaving you liable as a business. While these accidents can happen in any workplace, environments such as supermarkets are often at an elevated risk.
The presence of oil, food, and chemicals on the shop floor, as well as uneven concrete or curbs creates additional risk factors that may not be seen in other places of business. This is why it is absolutely crucial that you do all that you can as a supermarket owner to follow proper safety protocols and procedures to keep your workers and customers safe.
Proper Footwear
Employees at your supermarket will be consistently navigating between different areas of your supermarket. From inside the store to out in the car park, surfaces can become slippery quickly. spills, oil, and rainwater can all create slick surfaces without warning.
To keep employees safe, requiring that your workers wear non-slip footwear can improve their traction on wet or slippery surfaces. This will help to ensure that workers can easily navigate all areas of your supermarket without issue, as well as easily perform cleaning tasks such as mopping safely and without incident.
Inspect Concrete & Prioritise Repairs
Another large risk factor for trips or falls at your supermarket can be seen when the concrete or paving in driveways, walkways, or your shop front becomes uneven or damaged. Cracked and uneven pavement can create raised surfaces and edges that can easily catch the edge of shoes. Potholes and chipped driveways can easily cause customers to lose their balance and fall.
To avoid trips and falls caused by damaged pavement, inspect all surface areas regularly. Small cracks can widen quickly, and small imperfections can become larger problems if left unattended. Avoid complications by taking irregularities in paved and concreted surfaces seriously.
Use Proper Signage
Safety guidelines advise that proper signage is used to warn employees and customers when a surface may be wet or hazardous. Using proper signage communicates to customers and employees that extra caution should be exercised when navigating that area. These signs should be placed during routine cleanings and mopping, which can create slick surfaces that may prompt easy slips and falls.
Keep Shop Fronts Clean & Safe Year Round
While dry concrete and pavements generally provide great traction, this can easily change with the weather. Rain and ice during colder months can quickly become dangerous if left untreated. To lessen the risk of slips and falls due to icy and wet surfaces, ensure your supermarket has hi-vis painted markings and grip tape in highly trafficked areas, including the storefront.
Keep Workspaces Clear
In areas such as stock rooms and equipment storage, walkways can easily become unsafe or obstructed by excess stock, ladders, or equipment. Be sure that all employees are properly trained on correct procedures that keep these employee areas safe and clear for foot traffic. All boxes and equipment should be kept in designated locations and outside walkways.
By following these simple protocols, you can avoid potential injuries to customers and employees and keep all parties safe year-round.
