Nevada retail workers face a heightened risk of injury during the holidays, necessitating a greater focus on worker safety. While retail workers enjoy benefits such as earning more money, they may experience stress during the busy shopping season that can lead to injuries. Crowds of shoppers can also increase the risk of injuries to workers during the holiday season. It is important for retailers to take proactive steps to help to protect their workers when their stores are busy.
Retail Worker Dangers During the Holidays
Retail workers face increased pressures and work longer hours during the holidays. Some of the expectations their employers have during the busiest shopping season of the year may lead to increased stress and a higher risk of injury. Retail workers may suffer injuries that are caused by excessive lifting. When they work longer hours, they may also be likelier to suffer injuries from slips, trips, and falls at work.
Some retail workers may also be injured by shoppers who are in a rush to get inside of the stores on Black Friday. In 2008, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated after a retail worker was trampled to death by rushing customers who were forcing their way through the door. As shoppers become frustrated, there is also a higher risk of injuries caused by violence directed toward retail workers. Crowd management and safety policies are important to help to protect retail workers when stores are busy during the holidays. If a worker is injured during work hours, they should file a workers’ compensation claim with the help of an experienced attorney
Increasing Safety for Retail Workers
Employers should start by considering the unique challenges they face during the holiday season. They should think about all of the potential risks when they are planning ahead of the season. Employers should have strong safety policies in place and provide training for all of their workers. The training should include such topics as how to use ladders safely, using boxcutters safely, prevention of workplace violence, and other topics about the unique problems that retail workers face while they are working during the holidays.
The American Journal of Industrial Medicine reports that workers who work 12-hour shifts have double the risk of injury as workers who work for eight hours. If employers are able to schedule their workers accordingly, they might help to prevent worker injuries.
Helping encourage a safety culture at work can help prevent injuries and protect retail workers. Employers can also enjoy cost savings when they protect workers.
