Few people in Arizona can avoid going to the grocery store at some point, in spite of the increasing options for pick-up and delivery. When walking through the store, people want to shop without worrying about sustaining an injury.
Loss Prevention Media lists several hazards that may affect the safety of shoppers in a grocery store.
Shelving hazards
Heavy items may cause serious injuries if employees do not shelve them correctly. For example, products such as large bags of dog food or packages of water bottles shelved too high may fall on shoppers as they try to pull them off a high shelf. If the items are on the ground or at the back of a low shelf, a shopper may have to lean or twist to reach the item and lift it, causing a spinal injury.
Slip-and-fall hazards
Slips and falls are other common injuries affecting both customers. These incidents often result due to poor housekeeping or maintenance, or the failure of management to create a system for quickly discovering and cleaning up spills.
Bacteria and contamination hazards
The Price Gun Store points out that bacteria and contamination can also affect the safety of shoppers. Poorly kept equipment can lead to bacterial hazards, particularly in meat, fish and deli departments where employees handle raw foods. Bacteria can cross-contaminate different coolers due to poor sanitation efforts.
Tripping hazards
Many stores set up wire racks or cardboard displays of products along aisles, blocking traffic flow and creating a tripping hazard. Likewise, customers may bump into improperly stacked items in the path of traffic and cause them to fall on themselves or someone else.
