Putting safety over profits: a retailer's responsibility

When it comes to retail, profit is king. From products to service; everything is geared towards making money. While many significant retailers focus their attentions on aspects of the business such as the shop floor layout and the shopper’s journey in a way to maximise sales, many overlook the importance of health and safety in their businesses.

Serious health and safety breaches can attract considerable fines if they have been found during an inspection by local authorities, or the fire warden. But often what lies behind the stockroom doors does not get exposed, and an established retail outlet may have amassed mountains of fixtures, Point of Sale, and stock over some time. Building faults may have sprung up, but given the precarious nature of the retail leasing landscape, many overlook defects even if they are safety concerns. 

But all of this is not only likely to land a company with fines, but it could also lead to custodial sentences to company directors in the event of a severe accident in which negligence is the cause. But the fear of fines and prison sentences should not be the motivating factor, the safety of the companies staff, customers, and visitors should be paramount at all times. 

Insurance

A retailer is required to have a number of types of business insurance, but fundamentally, they should public liability is essential. Evidence of this should be displayed within the unit.

Sticking by the health and safety policy

Having a health and safety policy is not just a formality. This should be carried through and regularly audited to ensure that it is being followed throughout the whole company. All members of staff are responsible for carrying out everything that is determined in the policy. However, it is on the leaders of the business to ensure it is implemented and handed down to stores in a manner that shows the gravity of the circumstance. 

What procedures should be in place 

Within a store, there should be many health and safety procedures as standard. The management should be making daily checks of fire exits and extinguishers to ensure that they are accessible and functioning. There need to be weekly fire alarm tests and regular inspections and testing of emergency lighting, and sprinkler systems. All staff should be trained on what they need to do in the event of a fire, and there should be regular refresher training. 

Risk assessments should be carried out frequently. These should look into every aspect of the building and the work that is carried out in it to ensure that there are no safety concerns. Where there are, there should be a plan in place on how to deal with these. This may mean that additional training needs to be given, or repairs need to be carried out within the store. 

Creating a full health and safety training for all of your team members is also something that is crucial. This should be reviewed and refresher sessions offered over time.