Improving Late Night Retail Safety for Workers | ProTELEC Alarms

Do you own a business that employs retail workers late into the night or the early hours of the morning? Do you manage retail employees, especially those who spend most or all of their shifts working alone?

Then you might want to know more about the legal requirements for keeping these lone workers safe.

People working alone in retail environments late at night often face an increased risk of violence or difficult confrontations. That?s why new legal regulations are taking effect in provinces like British Columbia.

These amendments offer specific requirements for business owners who employ night shift workers in late night retail environments. Depending on the type of business you run, you may need to identify potential workplace hazards, and develop policies to keep lone workers safe on the job.

Businesses classified as late night retail establishments must follow at least one of these three options.

(1) Assign at least two workers during late night shifts.

(2) Physically separate a lone worker from the public using a locked door or barrier for these late night hours.

(3) Incorporate a violence prevention program including the following elements:

-A time lock safe which cannot be opened by the lone worker,
-Limited access into the business premises,
-Good visibility both into and out of the location,
-Video surveillance,
-Visible signage telling visitors about the video surveillance, and limited amounts of cash on hand.

And for businesses adhering to the third option, late night workers must be 19 years of age and provided with a personal emergency transmitter.

You might also want to consider a work alone solution for your valued employees. Using an automated communication system like CheckMate that doesn?t depend on humans to stay in regular contact means someone?s always looking after your lone workers.

Source: http://www.protelecalarms.com/news/2012/11/improving-late-night-retail-safety-for-workers/

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