Safety in retail will be scrutinised during SafeWork SA campaign

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published by SafeWork SA.

Retail work environments are being put under the microscope

The retail industry has the fourth highest incidence of serious musculoskeletal disorders, according to a review of Safe Work Australia’s 2019 report on Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Australia.

In February 2023, Safe Work Australia released the Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023–2033, which identified slips, trips and falls, along with body stressing, as among the most common causes of workplace injuries.

Since January 2021, SafeWork SA has issued more than 49 statutory notices involving poor workplace housekeeping and lack of systems and training on how to perform hazardous manual tasks, such as heavy and repetitive lifting.

As a result, SafeWork SA will launch a 6-month safety campaign to address this issue. Retail work environments are going under the microscope as SafeWork SA launches a campaign focusing on mitigating slips, trips, falls, and injuries from heavy and repetitive lifting.

SafeWork SA launches safety campaign

During the 6-month campaign, inspectors will visit businesses around the South Australian metro to see if workplaces are complying with appropriate systems for hazardous manual tasks and retail housekeeping.

Compliance activities will also focus on:

• Front and back-office housekeeping.
• Slips, trips and fall hazards.
• Reviewing systems for managing hazardous manual tasks.

If a non-compliance identified during the audit cannot be remedied while the inspector is on site, a statutory notice will be issued.

The inspectors will also provide advice, information and education in relation to traffic management.

The importance of workplace safety in retail

Despite common perceptions, retail environments are prone to serious injuries from falls, slips, and strains. Retailers are urged to recognise and mitigate potential hazards in their premises to protect workers and the public, underlining the campaign's necessity for raising awareness and compliance in workplace safety.

SafeWork SA Executive Director Mr Glenn Farrell said:

‘Many people don’t consider a retail outlet to be a particularly hazardous work environment, but the statistics clearly show that serious injuries caused by falls, slips, trips and strains are commonplace in the sector.’

‘Retailers have an obligation to identify and address potential hazards in their shops, offices and storerooms to minimise the risk to workers and members of the public, ensuring workers are educated in appropriate workplace practices to protect them from injury.’

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Sources

Retail work hazards under the microscope by SafeWork SA, 15th March, 2024.

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