15 January 2008

Putting safety first

According to the Australian Retailers Association, OH&S and Workers Compensation rate in the top five issues facing Retailers today. This is not surprising when considering the nature of the industry. High rates of casual employment in the industry result in higher staff turnover, making it hard for employers to ensure that their staff have completed all necessary OH&S training.

Each year, the Australian economy spends an estimated $34.3 billion on work related injuries and diseases. The most common injuries resulting from slips, trips, falls and incorrect manual handling. This figure highlights how important it is to ensure that employees are working in a safe environment and are aware of the OH&S policies and procedures set up by their employer.

It is the duty of care of the employer to increase OH&S policy and procedure compliance amongst staff. By doing so, employers benefit by reducing the risk of hazards, embedding hygiene and cleanliness procedures, ensuring correct waste disposal, reinforcing accident response procedures, and ultimately, achieving what every employer wants to do- a reduction in costs!

Retailstar's Shopsafe helps retailers stay on top of their OH&S training. Part of the Shopbasic's series, Retailstar's six online short courses, Shopsafe presents the essential information for all retail staff to help prevent workplace injuries. It helps staff incorporate safe work practices into their everyday retail operations.

With modules including safety roles and responsibility, hazard identification and control, daily cleaning routine, dangerous substance and waste disposal and emergency procedures, Shopsafe covers all the main issues retailers face with OH&S.

All Shopbasics courses are delivered online via a platform that allows retailers to not only deliver the training, but also test staff knowledge and report on results. This reporting capability allows employers to identify strengths and weaknesses in staff to ensure the consistent implementation of company 'best practice'. The platform also monitors who has completed what training, essential for compliance training such as OH&S and ideal for the retail market.

To preview a sample of Shopsafe, please click here.

About Retailstar

Retailstar is the specialist retail brand of Workstar Pty Ltd.

Many of the region's leading employers use Workstar's award winning technology, learning content and consulting services to deliver increased sales, productivity and compliance, whilst reducing training and recruitment costs. Workstar has also been awarded major national and international multimedia projects in education and training and has received global recognition for its solutions and impact on business success.

For further information contact retailstar@workstar.com.au