How to Prevent Accidents in Your Shop
If you own a shop, you’ll know what a chaotic place it can be. Customers flood in, while others scramble to leave, often with several precariously balanced shopping bags in tow. The PA blasts a request to attend to aisle seven, and a young assistant hurries to wipe up the yoghurt someone has carelessly dropped on the floor.
Unfortunately, a tumultuous environment like this is an accident waiting to happen. A missed “wet floor” sign or a poorly stacked box of stationery on the top shelf and someone could be seriously hurt. However, many accidents that occur in shops are caused by things that could be prevented, such as slips and trips. This means a little forward planning could reduce the risk of nasty incident.
Here, we explore how to prevent accidents in your shop.
Keep your paperwork up to date
While there are plenty of things you can do to prevent an accident in your shop, there’s no way to eliminate the risk completely. Obtaining insurance for your shop will help protect you and your business if an accident or unexpected event occurs.
If an employee or customer is hurt in an accident on your premises, they may claim compensation on the basis of negligence. This could have serious ramifications for you and your business, both financially and reputationally.
Assess the risks
As a business owner, you’re responsible for identifying any risks to the health and safety of people working in or visiting your shop and putting safety measures in place to prevent an accident. Conducting a regular risk assessment will help you spot potential hazards and mitigate them before they become a serious issue.
Educate your staff
Educate your staff about the importance of workplace safety and make sure they are aware of how to identify a hazard and how to reduce the risk of accidents in the shop. Be sure to run training sessions regularly, as people often forget about health and safety risks and become lax if they aren’t reminded on a regular basis.
Provide adequate signage
No matter whether your business is a tiny boutique or a bustling retail store, it’s crucial to take steps to avoid a staff member or member of the public being hurt. Placing signs around the premises to warn of hazards will encourage people to be cautious and reduce the risk of an accident.
Signage is also crucial when an emergency occurs. For example, in a fire, people need to be able to see where the fire exits are and where the extinguishers are kept, so these must be clearly marked.
