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Safety Tips for Retail and Wholesale Employees to Mitigate Losses

By Axis Marketing

clothing retail and wholesale

For those who run and operate a retail or wholesale business, there are a number of exposures and risks to consider in order to mitigate losses and protect their business.

Here are some safety tips to take into consideration:

 

Fire Prevention:

  1. Smoking is only allowed in designated exterior smoking areas.
  2. No candles or open flames are allowed within the office facility.
  3. Only space heaters provided by the company are approved for use within the facility. Employees using space heaters are responsible to turn the heater off when leaving their desk for extended periods of time (lunch, end of the workday, etc.).
  4. No flammable chemicals are allowed inside the building at any time. If you feel that there is a work-related need to use a flammable chemical, contact the supervisor for guidance on hazard communication and fire safety.

 

Electrical Safety:

  1. With the exception of independently fused multi-tap cords for computers, extension cords are not allowed in office areas.
  2. Keep electrical cords out of areas where they will be damaged by stepping on or kicking them.
  3. Turn electrical appliances off with the switch, not by pulling out the plug.
  4. Turn all appliances off before leaving for the day.
  5. Never run cords under rugs or other floor coverings.
  6. Any electrical problems should be reported immediately.

 

Housekeeping:

  1. Do not place materials such as boxes or trash in walkways and passageways.
  2. Sweep up shavings from around equipment such as drill presses, lathes or planers by using a broom and a dust pan.
  3. Mop up water around drinking fountains, drink dispensing machines and ice machines immediately.
  4. Do not store or leave items on stairways.
  5. Do not block or obstruct stairwells, exits or accesses to safety and emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers or fire alarms.

 

Cash Drawers:

  1. Open it only when making a transaction.
  2. Close the drawer before you package merchandise that the customer purchased.
  3. Leave the bills the customer gave you on top of the drawer until after making change to keep a record of what the customer paid in case of dispute.
  4. Never leave an open cash drawer unattended for any length of time.
  5. Notify your supervisor when you build up excess cash in your drawer so it can be moved to a more secure location.
  6. Never count cash drawers in front of customers. Always count the contents of the drawer in a secure, private area.
  7. Always lock the cash drawer and remove the key when it is not in use.
  8. If the premises will be unattended overnight, empty the cash drawer and leave it open to lessen damage in the event of a break-in or to deter thieves altogether.

 

Stocking Shelves:

  1. When manually stocking shelves, position the materials to be shelved slightly in front of you so you do not have to twist when lifting and stacking materials.
  2. Place heavier loads on the lower or middle shelves.
  3. Remove one object at a time from shelves.
  4. Place items on shelves so that they lie flat and do not lean against each other.
  5. Do not let items overhang from shelves into walkways.

 

 

Find Out More:

This list is not exhaustive, and assessing your company's exposures and taking the appropriate precautions can go a long way toward protecting your retail industry business.

Download our “Common Exposures for Retail Operations” guide for an in-depth list of more ways to minimize gaps in your risk management:

 

Download Here

 

Tags: Retail & Hospitality

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