Safety Matters

Black Friday shopping madness is underway here in Nova Scotia. Stores are packed and lines are extra long as shoppers brave the crowds in hopes of scoring those irresistible deals. With all this flurry of holiday shopping chaos, retail workers are extra busy – all the more reason to keep safety in mind and take care to prevent injury.

Did you know retail is one of the industries with the most workplace injuries in the province? In 2012, there were 612 injuries in the retail sector that resulted in a worker losing time from work. That number is down compared to the 715 time loss injuries in 2011, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

The hazards in retail are diverse. Generally speaking, most often people get hurt moving bags, boxes and other materials, especially heavier things, using tools and equipment—from box cutters to pallet jacks, and everything in between, and from slipping and falling, often caused by spills or other slippery surfaces. It’s also one of the industries where young people get their start, and it has a higher number of young worker injuries.

Of course, rarely does one single thing lead to injury. Many contributing factors lead to people getting hurt - from the way work is designed and set up, to factors about workload, to many, many other causes. That’s why it’s so important to learn everything you can about staying safe.

The Retail Council of Canada  is working with other safety leaders in the province to begin establishing an industry voice for workplace safety.

Check out this guide for new workers in retail.