Cornwall has a long history in manufacturing, and is now one of the biggest logistics clusters in Canada. Many of Canada’s biggest retailers have chosen Cornwall to host their distribution centres, giving the town’s 47,000 inhabitants a valuable source of employment. For the workforce, many of whom are working shifts, safety is absolutely paramount. This is why businesses are having to step up their health and safety practices to protect both staff and customers. 

Reporting injuries

A recent report done by the University of Regina has found that there has been a 10% increase in workplace injuries in Canada in the past year. This is why it is imperative that injuries are monitored and reported so that businesses can assess for any procedural changes that can be made. It is a good idea to consult personal injury lawyers for expert advice on any potential issues in policy. They can also help protect staff if there does happen to be an accident in the workplace. All retail businesses should keep accurate records of any injuries, no matter how minor, to see if they could have been prevented. 

Keeping clean and clear

Within distribution centres, spills and trip hazards are the most common causes of accidents. Items get left in aisles or perched precariously on shelves, or they’re not moved to their assigned places straight away. Spills are often not dealt with immediately. An easy solution to this is organizing a member of staff to do a walkthrough of the warehouse on an hourly basis. This small amount of time spent could mean that a serious injury is prevented. 

Appointing safety managers

All staff should have regular health and safety training – particularly refresher training – so that safety is always at the forefront of people’s minds. It is good policy, however, for businesses to appoint extra health and safety monitoring tasks to staff as part of their role. This has worked well at Walmart and Target, both of which have major distribution centres in Cornwall. When employees are a valuable part of the health and safety process, then everyone is taking responsibility. 

For retail business to run efficiently, it is important that health and safety procedures are followed without exception. This will protect the employees of Cornwall and ensure that businesses can operate effectively.