Employee Safety

I use to be employed as a manager. The store was a multi-retail complex which included a full service gas station, grocery store with a meat department that had a smoke house, bakery, lunch counter, and a produce department. There was also pet store on the premises, car wash, and during the spring and summer months; a green house and garden section. There were many different rules for each area but all guidelines were in place to keep the employees and customers safe.

Safety Training

The store used two different types of safety training. The first was by instructional videos with fill in worksheets. Not only did each new employee take part in these instructional videos but once a year there would be a refresher course for all employees. The second way of safety training was by the head of the departments. A new staff member would go through the basic instructional videos first than go into the department to have hands on training.

Fire Safety

Fire extinguishers were placed in many areas in the store. The main store had one in each department, the office, the stock room, the front entrance and the back room entrance. Employees were trained on the proper procedure in using the fire extinguishers.

Fire evacuation plans were posted in each department, backroom, break room and at each exit in case customers needed to read them as well. There were fire alarms in every part of the complex which was wired into the one main unit. If a fire alarm went off in one area; they all went off.

Medical and First Aid

First aid kits were placed in every part of the complex. If an employee had to use a first aid kit for anything major like a burn or deep cut; an accident report had to be filled out and handed to the manager on duty. CPR and Heimlich procedure posters were placed in the break room, lunch counter, and pizzeria.

Weather

Michigan weather can be unpredictable at times. When there was weather that was threatening; all back areas would be shut down, the outdoor staff would be brought inside. If a tornado warning was in effect; all doors would be locked, staff would escort customers to predetermined areas.

The main way to ensure safety is to make sure the employees are aware of all potential dangers so that they know what to look for as well as how to react to the situation.