|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Protect Retail Workers During Major Sales Events |
In 2008, a worker was trampled to death when a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store to take advantage of an after-Thanksgiving Day Black Friday sales event.
According to the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the store was not using the kind of crowd management measures recommended in OSHA’s fact sheet.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” said Assistant Secretary for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “Many of these incidents can be prevented by adopting a crowd management plan, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season.”
To prevent worker injuries during Black Friday and the holiday season’s other major sales events, OSHA encourages major retail companies to adopt crowd management plans that include:
- having trained security personnel or police officers on-site,
- setting up barricades or rope lines for pedestrians and crowd control well in advance of customers arriving at the store,
- making sure that barricades are set up so that the customers’ line does not start right at the entrance of the store,
- ensuring that outside personnel have radios or some other way to communicate with personnel inside the store and emergency responders,
- having in place emergency procedures that address potential dangers,
- having security personnel or customer service representatives explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public, and
- ensuring that all employees and crowd control personnel are aware that the doors are about to open.
OSHA also recommends not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level and not blocking or locking exit doors.
A retail workplace has a wide variety of occupations and job hazards. This Safety Talk addresses many of the safety concerns facing retail workers. (Subscription to SafetySmart Online is required to access this page.)
Want to Try SafetySmart Online? Request a Free Demo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| You just stand there and hold that metal without any personal protective equipment while I weld it. Just close your eyes. Everything will be all right. Relax, I’ve got one foot on the ladder. I won’t slip. (WorkSafe Victoria Australia) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LIABILITY: Worker Suicides—Can a Company Be Held Liable? |
Employers have a duty to protect workers from being injured or made ill by equipment, hazardous substances, excessive noise, confined spaces and other hazards. But what if a worker injures or kills himself? Do employers have a duty to protect workers from self-inflicted injuries?
Under certain circumstances, they might. With workplace suicides on the rise, it seems only a matter of time before a Canadian employer is held liable for a worker’s suicide. The situations described above are examples of worker suicides that have resulted or could result in corporate liability.
Read more on the issue of employer liability on OHSInsider.com.
(note: subscription is required; to get instant access, simply sign up for a No-Cost Trial of OHSInsider.com. Plus, you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE NHL jersey of your choice.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Study Says Shiftwork Doubles Injury Risk |
A University of British Columbia (UBC) study has found that night shift workers are almost twice as likely to suffer workplace injuries as people who only work day shifts.
Published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, the study looked at data on more than 30,000 Canadians, comparing results among workers who did different kinds of shiftwork between 1996 and 2006.
The study, led by UBC School of Environmental Health PhD candidate Imelda Wong, found that while the overall rate of work injuries across Canada decreased during that 10-year period, the rate of injuries did not decline for night shift workers.
“The disruption of normal sleep patterns due to shiftwork can cause drowsiness or fatigue, which can lead to workplace injuries,” says Wong. “Our research shows that people working rotating and night shifts are more likely to experience an injury than those who work regular day hours.”
The study found that the risk of work-related injury associated with shiftwork was more pronounced for women than for men, especially women who worked rotating shifts. One reason for the difference may be that women tend to shoulder greater responsibility for childcare and household work and therefore they may have more trouble adjusting to shiftwork and maintaining regular sleep schedules.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Upcoming Events: |
|
 |
|
| Webinar - Nov 23, 12:00 EST (9 a.m. PST) |
| Stopping Incidents Before They Happen: How to Create a “Near Miss” Reporting Culture |
| A Proven 4-Step Plan to Implement Successful Near-Miss Reporting Culture in Your Organization |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Join the online community of safety professionals |
|
|
|
 |
| Choose from over 1000+ posters on over 50 safety topics |
|
|
|
 |
| Take advantage of sophisticated and easy-to-use training resources. |
|
|
|
 |
| Become a member of the leading source of safety compliance information. |
|
|
|
 |
| Download hundreds of individual safety talks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
