If you are planning to start a large-scale retail business, it is important to understand that risks will always be a part of the activities happening in the facility. You must take necessary precautions to minimise, if not eliminate, the risks emanating from your business. This will optimise the welfare of your workers and ensure that you do not waste money dealing with the aftermath of the risks.
For you to do this, you must know source of the risks and workplace injuries so that you can implement the appropriate prevention measures. Here is a look at the leading workplace hazards for a large retail business:
Repetitive Use Injuries
Repetitive use injuries lie in the activities that you allocate to the employees. When people carry out the same jobs and tasks every day, they are at a high risk of repetitive use injuries. These activities include rolling dough, cleaning walls and windows, typing and carrying packed goods from one place to another. Repeating these activities everyday elevates the risk of injuring the fingers, forearms, back, arms, wrists and legs among others.
Thankfully, you can minimise repetitive risk injuries by allowing adequate contingency breaks between work sessions for your employees. Moreover, job rotation will create variations that will keep your workers from overusing certain parts of their bodies and minimise the risks of injuries.
Chemicals
Large-scale retail businesses vendor a wide assortment of items to customers. Sometimes, workers are not aware of the risks lying in their activities and the products they are dealing with. For instance, a product such as methylated spirit is known for its medical and antiseptic value but some workers don't know that it is highly flammable.
Therefore, it is important to identify sections with such hazardous products and put up warning signs or reminders for your workers. Potent substances like corrosive vapours, smoke, fumes, gases and liquids should also be identified.
Ergonomic Hazards
Ergonomic hazards primarily lie in the tools and equipment that your workers use. As a business owner, ensure that your people have the right tools for each job that you assign them. If the repair and maintenance tools requires a pipe wrench or adjustable spanner, provide these tools ASAP rather than letting them improvise tongs or a pair of pliers for the same job.
Additionally, consider elements such as back and leg support for employees who spend lots of time behind a desk, typing or writing stuff. In brief, analyse the work environment carefully and match the right equipment with the right job description.
Share
