Free retail store workplace safety assessment

Start with these task groups. Use one worksheet per task, and add any task this list misses.

• Receiving deliveries

  Vehicle movement near workers, loads, dock access and temporary stock.

• Stocking and merchandising

  Reaching, ladders, lifting, falling stock and changing aisle layouts.

• Opening packaging

  Cutting tools, sharp edges, waste and repetitive handling.

• Checkout and customer service

  Repetition, reach, workstation arrangement and public interaction.

• Stockrooms and powered equipment

  Congestion, storage, moving equipment and authorized use.

• Cleaning and spill response

  Wet surfaces, cleaning products and work around customers.

• Food counters or specialist departments

  Hot surfaces, cutting equipment, cold rooms and department-specific tasks.

• Opening, closing and security

  Reduced staffing, lone work, aggression, access and emergencies.

5. 5

   Chemical hazards

   Floor cleaners, sanitizers, leaking household products and battery chemicals: container labels, splash exposure, spill response and products that must be stored apart.

6. 6

   Lifting and repeated strain

   Beverage cases, pet-food bags and bulky returns, plus repeated scanning, bagging, overhead stocking and pushing loaded carts across thresholds.

7. 7

   Noise and vibration

   Compactors, balers, powered pallet jacks and delivery areas where equipment noise or loud music can make spoken warnings difficult to hear.

8. 8

   Heat, cold and physical agents

   Walk-in freezers, refrigerated displays, bakery ovens and hot food counters, plus outdoor cart collection and unloading deliveries in heat or cold.

9. 9

   Biological hazards

   Discarded needles in restrooms or parking lots, blood from cuts, spoiled goods, pest droppings and contaminated trash handled during store cleanup.

10. 10

    Fire and emergencies

    Cardboard and seasonal stock near ignition sources, aerosol displays, charging batteries, and delivery pallets or promotional fixtures narrowing emergency routes.

11. 11

    Confined or restricted spaces

    Compactor chambers, service pits and crawl spaces used for maintenance: identify who might enter and obtain a separate space evaluation before entry.

12. 12

    Violence and lone work

    Cash handling, disputed returns, suspected theft, late closing and lone opening, including workers collecting carts or taking trash outside.

13. 13

    Work organization and contractors

    Holiday rushes, overnight stocking, temporary workers, young employees and cleaning or display contractors sharing areas while the store remains open.

14. 14

    PPE and exposure-control gaps

    Gloves for opening cartons or handling broken goods, eye protection for chemical spills, and cold-weather clothing for freezer work or outdoor cart collection.

15. 15

    Additional job-specific hazards

    Anything cashiers, stockers, cleaners or receiving staff raise that this list misses, such as online-order pickup, a new product department or changed delivery arrangements.

Consider eliminating or substituting the hazard first, then suitable engineering controls, administrative arrangements and PPE. The right combination depends on the job and the requirements that apply to it; PPE alone does not resolve every risk.

1. Elimination — remove the hazard or the task that creates it.
2. Substitution — use a less hazardous material, product, method or piece of equipment.
3. Engineering controls — separate people from the hazard with guards, barriers, ventilation or layout changes.
4. Administrative controls — change how the work is done through procedures, scheduling, instruction, signs and supervision.
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — protect each worker with equipment chosen, fitted and maintained for the task.

Ideas to discuss for this workplace:

• Review product placement and replenishment methods to reduce difficult reaches and repeated handling.
• Choose access and handling equipment suited to the task and available space. Include changes to deliveries and temporary displays.
• Check the result during restocking, and ask employees whether the new arrangement makes the task easier.

For each action, record the hazard, the people exposed, existing controls, the additional action, its priority and the basis for it, the responsible role, a target date, verification evidence and any remaining questions. Do not close a finding just because a document was created.

List departments, delivery methods, stocking routines and public-facing tasks. Include seasonal displays, temporary workers, lone opening or closing work and any powered equipment. Bring reports of difficult handling or repeated strain and details of recent merchandising changes.