The recently held annual conference of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) saw shopworkers calling upon bosses to do more for workers’ safety as they come to and leave the workplace.

Addressing the conference, USDAW Deputy General Secretary, Paddy Lillis, said safety at work should extend beyond the stores’ doorways. He emphasised on the need for the safety of workers as they came to work and left for home, mentioning that women were more susceptible to attacks as they had to wait at the bus stop or walk alone on the street during late hours. Lillis added that managers should not ignore the safety needs of their women workers.

According to Kent delegate, Sally Neale, the nature of work at shops made shop assistants easily recognisable to local customers who could threaten workers who had refused to sell them products such as alcohol.

A supermarket nightshift worker revealed the plight of women workers working in night shifts. The worker said female staff had to make their way through the dark streets in the wee hours after work while the female managers had the privilege of being escorted to their cars that were parked next to the store.

USDAW has organised a Freedom from Fear campaign with the objective of protecting shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse.

Protecting the health and safety of employees is an essential part of risk management. The health & safety consultants from Workplace Law can assist managers and supervisors in all they need to know to help handle health and safety in their teams to learn about the importance of promoting awareness and attitude, and communication about safety to help boost team performance for a more effective working practice.