The Retail Industry: A First Workplace for Many New Workers

What is the “Retail” Industry? Retail is considered the public facing element of the all-encompassing world of goods and services, specifically defined as the “sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption”(Oxford dictionary). As you can imagine, many large and small businesses in Saskatchewan fit this description.

Access Free Training: https://www.sasksafety.org/online.html

​Naturally, such businesses employ many new workers of all ages, with many high-school aged youth choosing the retail industry as their entry point into the workforce. New Canadians, people with special needs, retired workers, and experienced workers with expertise in other industries are also prevalent in the retail environment. Overall, approximately 11.5% of the Canadian workforce finds employment in the retail industry.

Because these environments seem familiar to many, and since the public often shares space with employees, there are misconceptions that these workplaces are perfectly safe, injury-free zones. But this is not true, many hazards exist that endanger retail workers. Various ergonomic difficulties, dangerous air quality and materials, exposure to chemicals, and extreme temperatures can be present in these wide-ranging environments.

The most common injuries in Saskatchewan retail environments occur to the hands, back, and legs, most notably from sprains, strains, and cuts, as well as slips, trips, and falls. Some lesser known dangers of the retail industry include hazards of a more personal type, such as violent attacks and other psychological stressors which are present for those in positions that regularly deal with customers and the public.

​These are preventable injuries and controllable hazards. Proper training and supervision are critical in preventing these injuries which affect some of the most vulnerable workers in Saskatchewan. Thankfully, completely free injury prevention training now exists for new workers in the retail industry.

The “Retail Safety Training” course is designed to efficiently provide safety orientations to those who are new to retail work in Saskatchewan. Providing necessary information to help retail workers make safe choices, this 50-minute concise training course features wide-ranging online accessibility and only a brief time commitment from the participant. As a result, it can easily be integrated into a new employee on-boarding process.
Topics include:

• Understanding best practices
• Identifying hazards and how to eliminate them
• Identifying ways to reduce risks
• Understanding emergency response situations

Access Free Training: https://www.sasksafety.org/online.html

By introducing new workers to potential workplace hazards and the appropriate controls, long before they enter a retail workplace, a foundation of safe thinking is built. This will help orient them to the dangers of their work environment.

The Council and its free programs are supported by the following multi-year organizational sponsors: CAA Saskatchewan; Crescent Point Energy; Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan; K + S Potash; Meridian Surveys; Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health; Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance; Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association; SaskEnergy; and WorkSafe Saskatchewan.