Removing obstacles for your customers
On a weekly basis Guild are notified of injuries to customers within pharmacies. Major causes of injury to customers often arise from preventable situations, including uneven floor surfaces or ill-placed obstacles such as boxes, vacuum cleaner hoses, power cords, signage.
Incidents such as these can have far reaching effects on the reputation of your business. The good news is that these incidents can usually be avoided with a little forward thinking and planning.
To make your pharmacy safer, review whether your pharmacy has any of the following problem areas:
|
Problem area |
Issue |
Potential impact |
|---|---|---|
|
Entrance areas |
Quality and stability of floor surfaces, mats, signage / displays. |
Trips, slips, falls. |
|
Uneven surface |
Steps, edges, lifting surfaces. |
Trips, slips, falls |
|
Narrow aisles |
Accommodating prams, wheelchairs, walking frames. |
Trips, slips, falls, damage to stock. |
|
Shelving displays |
Sharp edges, protruding items. |
Damage to clothing, personal injury, damage to stock. |
|
Merchandise displays |
Merchandise ‘displayed’ on the floor. |
Damage to stock, trips, falls. |
|
Delivery boxes |
Left out in public area partially unpacked. |
Trips, Slips, falls |
|
“Bargain bins” |
Wheels sticking out. |
Trips, falls |
|
Signage |
On the floor. |
Trips, falls. |
|
Signage or stock displays outside |
Signage insecure. |
Personal injury to passer-by/customer |
|
Vacuum cleaners |
Electrical cords. |
Trip, falls. |
Where it is not practical to remove potential ‘concerns’, restrict access to the area by roping it off or asking customers to seek assistance from staff rather than enter the area. One example of when this would be applicable is when stock is left sitting on the floor waiting to be shelved.
External hazards can be created by unsecured signage that can damage vehicles or injure passers-by, especially in windy conditions. These hazards can be managed by being removed in certain conditions, or by ensuring that they are adequately secured and appropriately positioned.
Remember too that the physical abilities and therefore needs of your customers will differ considerably. From parents with young children or infants in prams, to the elderly or infirm, you should consider safety from everyone’s point of view. Other customers may include the vision impaired, the disabled, or those reliant on walking aids. It is in the context of this broad range of visitors that safety throughout your pharmacy needs to be considered. All customers should be able to enter and leave your premises with minimal risk to their safety. Beware of creating hazards in front of the pharmacy with signs and product displays.
Keeping your pharmacy hazard-free helps minimise your pharmacy’s exposure to liability and potential property damage claims, helping to ensure you meet your duty of care to provide a safe environment for all customers to your pharmacy.
