The client is a high-street retail outlet based in the UK, selling a wide range of consumer furniture goods, including beds, carpets, and flooring. The outlet is part of a large regional chain, employing 50 staff members, including sales assistants, managers, warehouse employees, and Fitting staff. The store operates seven days a week and is situated in a busy shopping district, with a high volume of traffic.
Despite having basic health and safety procedures in place, the retail outlet faced growing concerns regarding customer and employee safety. Over the past year, there has been an increase in minor accidents, such as slips, trips, falls, and incidents related to manual handling and warehouse safety. In addition, the store had not conducted a recent risk assessment or reviewed its health and safety procedures to ensure compliance with the latest UK regulations.
To address these issues and enhance workplace safety, the retail outlet sought the expertise of a health and safety consultant.
Consultancy approach:
We immediately carried out a thorough risk assessment focusing on store layout, stockroom safety, cleaning procedures, and employee training. Safety policies were updated, with new standard operating procedures for manual handling, emergency evacuation, and customer safety. A comprehensive training program was implemented for all staff, covering manual handling, fire safety, and slip/trip hazard awareness.
The results:
The impact was almost immediate. Within a short period, there was a reduction in workplace injuries, particularly in manual handling and slip/trip incidents. The Retailer had full compliance with health and safety regulations and improved safety audits. An increase in employee engagement produced positive feedback and the creation of better safety practices and operational efficiency and increased customer confidence due to better store safety measures.
The consultancy helped the store create a safer environment for both employees and customers, reducing risks, improving compliance, and fostering a stronger safety culture.
