Guide
Health and safety for retail premises
Retail-specific health and safety obligations. Covers lone working, violence prevention, manual handling, display screen equipment, fire safety, first aid, and shoplifting incident procedures.
If you run a retail business, you must protect your staff's health and safety. Assess risks like lone working, violence, lifting heavy items, and fire safety. Train staff on what to do during shoplifting incidents - they should never confront a thief.
- Do a risk assessment covering all areas of your shop
- Put safety measures in place for staff working alone
- Train staff to handle violence and harassment
- Provide equipment to help with heavy lifting
- Have at least one first aid kit and trained person
- Staff must not physically stop shoplifters
- Keep floors clear to prevent slips and trips
- Check fire safety rules apply to your shop
- Display screens must be set up correctly
- Review risks when you change anything in your shop
When this applies
If you employ anyone in a retail setting, from a small shop to a large department store, you have legal duties to protect their health and safety at work. These duties apply whether staff are full-time, part-time, temporary, or agency workers.
Retail presents specific risks that differ from office or industrial environments. This guide covers the key hazards you must assess and control, your fire safety duties, and how to handle shoplifting incidents safely.
Retail-specific risks and controls
As an employer, you must carry out risk assessments under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 covering all workplace hazards. In retail, pay particular attention to the following areas.
What you need to do
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1. Carry out retail-specific risk assessments
Assess each area of your premises (shop floor, stockroom, checkout, office areas) and each type of work (lone working, manual handling, customer-facing roles). Record your findings if you have 5 or more employees. Review assessments regularly, especially when you change layout, introduce new equipment, or after any incident.
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2. Set up lone working safeguards
If any staff work alone (opening, closing, small shops), put specific measures in place. These should include regular check-in procedures, personal safety alarms or panic buttons, safe cash-handling procedures (limiting cash in tills, using time-delay safes), and clear procedures for locking up.
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3. Address violence and harassment
Assess the risk of violence from customers, including verbal abuse and physical aggression. Provide de-escalation and conflict resolution training. Since 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection Act 2023 requires employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of staff, including by customers. Document your prevention measures and incident reporting procedures.
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4. Manage manual handling risks
Assess stockroom and delivery handling tasks. Provide mechanical aids (trolleys, pallet trucks, step stools) where possible. Train staff in safe lifting techniques. Set maximum weight limits and ensure two-person lifts for heavy or awkward items.
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5. Arrange first aid provision
Appoint at least one person to take charge of first aid arrangements. Provide and maintain a properly stocked first aid kit. For larger stores or higher-risk environments, train designated first aiders. Display first aid information prominently for staff and customers.
Shoplifting incidents and staff safety
Your staff's safety must always come first during shoplifting incidents. Make clear in your policies and training that staff should never physically confront or restrain a shoplifter unless they are specifically trained and employed for that role (such as licensed security staff).
Train staff to observe and note descriptions (clothing, height, distinguishing features), secure CCTV evidence where available, and contact the police. After any incident, check on staff wellbeing and record the event in your incident log.
Fire safety
The responsible person for fire safety (usually the employer or premises manager) must ensure compliance with fire safety legislation. Retail premises carry specific fire risks from stockrooms, fitting rooms, seasonal displays, and high customer footfall.
What happens next
Review your risk assessments at least annually and after any significant change or incident. Keep records of all training, incidents, and maintenance. HSE inspectors and local authority environmental health officers can inspect retail premises without notice and issue improvement or prohibition notices for non-compliance.
For detailed guidance on specific topics, see our guides on workplace risk assessment and fire safety for business premises.