Retail Trade
Retail is one of the largest industries in the ACT and includes a broad range of businesses, from large international chain stores to small, family-owned shops.
Whether you own a business, are a manager, an experienced long-term employee or a Christmas casual worker, it is important that you know your work health and safety rights and obligations so you can keep yourself and others safe at work.
The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) who has control over the business has the primary duty (legal responsibility) under the Work Health and Safety Act to keep workers safe and prevent injuries and illness.
The resources below provide information on managing some of the common risks involved with working in retail.
| Topics | Resources |
|---|---|
General Safety: Risks and hazards in the workplace must be managed. These resources provide an overview of managing risks in any workplace. | |
Lifting, pushing, pulling (manual handling): Whether workers are lifting boxes, stacking shelves, fitting shoes, cleaning floors or working at a checkout, there are plenty of manual tasks that could cause an injury. These resources provide information on how to effectively manage manual handling risks. | |
Slips, trips and falls: Slips, trips and falls are one the most common causes of injuries for retail workers. Some examples of slips, trips and falls include slipping over while carrying boxes, tripping on an uneven surface and falling off a ladder. The following resources provide guidance on preventing these injuries. | Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice Managing the Risk of Falls Code of Practice |
Falling objects: Objects such as boxes and stock can fall from overhead storage, shelves and racks, causing serious injuries. The following resources provide guidance on managing the risks of falling objects. | Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice |
Psychosocial hazards:Workers in retail can be exposed to a range of psychosocial hazards, including high job demands, bullying, low job control and sexual harassment. Dealing with violence and aggression is a major challenge for workers in retail. The following resources provide information on how to manage psychosocial hazards. | Workplace Violence and Aggression Psychosocial Risk Management Scenario Work-Related Violence Sounds Like Poster Managing Psychosocial Hazards Code of Practice Work-Related Sexual-Harassment |
Vulnerable workers: Vulnerable workers include any person who is more at risk of injury or illness due to their induvial characteristics. Vulnerable workers may include young workers, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers, LGBTQI+ workers, new workers or workers who are changing roles. WorkSafe ACT has developed resources to support vulnerable workers in the workplace. | |
Workers’ compensation: Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that can provide workers with an important safety net if they are injured or become ill because of work. An employer in the ACT must have a workers' compensation insurance policy to cover their workers. To find out more about worker’s compensation, see the following resources. |
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