Risk of Injury in the Grocery Store Setting

Grocery stores are a vital system to all the neighborhoods they are located in, without them, people would have to seek out farms to buy their produce or grow their own in their backyards. Due to the need of these grocery stores, thousands of grocery store workers are employed, naturally this can lead to occupational injuries and illnesses that occur on the job each year. Much of the work done by grocery store employees is physically demanding. Many workers handle thousands of items each day to prepare meat products, stock shelves, decorate bakery items, and check groceries. These tasks involve many risks including static and awkward posture, repetition, and force. The presence of these risks increases the potential for injuries such as trigger finger, rotator cuff problems, epicondylitis which is an elbow problem, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, muscles strains, and back problems that occur from repeated use or overexertion. Due to these major points, the need for proper training is necessary in order to mitigate any instances would could result in a lawsuit.

Solutions

Store and company management should establish and implement a safety program that identifies and corrects workplace problems. The solutions that we have come up with is to have an in-depth training orientation when someone is first hired. This will include a mandatory handbook given to everybody which goes over possible workplace injuries and how to prevent them. Next would be to have a refresher safety course every quarter which is virtually interactive and goes over how to stay safe and keep others safe with protocols and proper safety positions to do lifting and repetitive motions. A quiz at the end will determine if an employee needs additional training. The last step is to have daily safety briefings that provide a quick reminder of safety requirements before the start of an employees shift. Every day there can be a different requirement that is gone over so that the employee doesn’t get bored of listening to the same information at each shift they work.

An orientation has multiple parts to it. It is an introduction, training session, and tour all in one. A manager or supervisor will familiarize the employee with the workplace, company culture, and even the coworkers. It is a time when the employee can ask many questions and learn as much as they can about what is expected of them at their new job. One of the best tools to give a newly hired employee is an employee handbook. This handbook should have an assortment of policies, procedures, working conditions, and behavioral expectations that guide employee actions at the workplace. It sets the tone for what the organization requires from its employees. It also helps set the legal precedent for the organization to ensure that it is covered in the event of a legal incident.

A very important section of the handbook is the training manual which is commonly developed following the ADDIE model. ‘A’ stands for analysis of the audience and of training needs, ‘D’ stands for design of training, its objectives, sequences of tasks, and much more, the next ‘D’ represents development of the training and instructional materials that are consistent with the design requirements, ‘I’ means implementation of the training, and ‘E’ is evaluating the training.

When using a training manual, there are important parts that need to be found in the book. Not everybody can learn by reading pages of text, so a good way to have employees apply what they have read is to use problem-solving scenarios and discussion topics. A scenario that commonly happens in the store can be given, while the employees are tasked to discuss and collaborate on an answer to solve the problem. Extra material such as videos or audio recordings are good to use for anybody who struggles to read an entire manual, that way they can still learn about the safety protocols. When there are blank sections in the manual, that encourages employees to write down what they are learning which increases the amount of information that they retain. There will also be detailed steps of various processes throughout the manual which checklists can sum up at the end. This helps an employee when they need to refer back to a section that includes specific steps to refresh their memory and it can be checked much more quickly than having to reread paragraphs of text.

Some safe work practices in a grocery store that should be talked about to reduce the risk of injury are power grips, power lifts, and holding, lifting, or carrying items the correct way. A power grip can be described as wrapping all the fingers and the thumb around the object that is being gripped. It can be used for many items including bags, cans, and small boxes. Since the muscles of the hand and forearm are used, this technique should be used whenever possible when it comes to dealing with small items. When the item to be grasped is too heavy or bulky, a power lift should be used which is when the item is grasped at the top with one hand while the other hand supports the item underneath. When lifting and holding a heavy or bulky item, it should be facing forward and close to the body, lift with a straight back and bent legs while turning their feet first to rotate the body if needed. When setting down a heavy item, they should move close to the area where it will be placed while using their legs to lower their body and the item.

It is also important to mention other obstacles that are found in a grocery store setting. Obstruction hazards can cause both customers and employees to trip. This includes floor mats, products that have fallen off of shelves, stocking material, and exposed cords. It is important to ensure aisles and walkways are clear in order to prevent tripping hazards. Slipping hazards can occur from leaky refrigeration units, spilled liquid product, or produce that is on the floor. Grocery store staff should always wear slip-resistant shoes while managers should set a schedule to maintain floor cleanliness throughout the store. The meat and deli sections are prone to bacterial hazards when equipment such as knives, cutting boards, and other utensils are not properly maintained. Employees should practice washing their hands regularly, wearing clean clothing to prevent spread of bacteria, and having sanitation stations throughout the store for constant use. The last hazard is mechanical, from equipment with sharp or moving parts like deli slicers and forklifts. Proper protective gear should be worn while employees should always be properly trained before the use of the equipment. Inspections should happen frequently to machinery to look for any damage.