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Safety risks identified by supermarkets

The supermarket which identified the health and safety concerns, saw two main areas of risk; namely the entrance area to the store, particularly in wet weather and slippages which occur whilst inside the store. In attempting to take action against the first risk, the store made a series of improvements to store entrances and floors and tackled in particular the issue of customers bringing in water on their shoes in wet weather, thereby making the floor slippy, especially at the entrance. So, attempts were made to identify the moment when water was walked into the store and respond by removing the water as soon as possible.

It also experimented with supplementary matting which was laid out in bad weather to minimise the risk of customers slipping, while "store greeters", who are now commonly seen in many supermarkets, were there to both welcome shoppers to the store but also to check, at the entrance, that the mats laid out were still in position and that water in-store was being kept to a minimum. Cleaning staff were also often at hand for the same purpose.

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A separate case study by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found in one store, that the matting at the store's entrance was suitable for removing grit and dirt from shoes but was not actually drying them, so supermarkets should take care to find the best matting, which can absorb moisture as well as removing dirt from footwear.

As for spills which occurred within the store, although floor cleaning took place throughout the day, the priority, when there was a spillage on the floor, was to take action immediately to ensure that the risk of someone slipping is minimised. Therefore staff had to be notified as soon as possible, the food or liquid on the floor should be removed as soon as possible and customers should be kept away from the affected area.

The store in question had sufficient numbers of trained staff who were used to dealing with such situations on a regular basis and were also trained at using warning signs and cones to keep people away from the affected area. It also had "spill stations" installed so that all the equipment needed to deal effectively with a spillage was being kept in one particular place.

The store saw the changes that were taking place, both at the entrance to the store and inside, as part of a wide-ranging store refurbishment programme which included a more permanent floor surface as well and the spill station system has been introduced into more stores. With the action that had been taken the company claimed to have achieved a 25% reduction in slipping incidents where the system is in operation.