“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”– Benjamin Franklin
With the 2022 holiday season here, retailers are hiring hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers to meet the increased demand. This year, we may also see more in-person shopping. As businesses enter the busy season, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants to remind all employers about workers’ rights to a safe and healthy workplace.
Workers’ rights and training
Every worker deserves a safe and healthful workplace, whether they are delivering products, packing boxes, stocking shelves or selling merchandise. It’s essential to train all employees in a language they understand, including seasonal workers, not only on how to perform their jobs safely but also on staying safe from the flu and coronavirus.
Temporary and seasonal workers
Temporary employees and those starting new positions – especially young workers – are at increased risk of injury and illness than permanent employees because they do not have the workplace and task-specific training they need. Employers can find information on workers’ rights, protecting temporary and seasonal workers, and keeping young workers safe at OSHA.gov.
Retail, warehousing and delivery hazards
To help protect the many workers involved in retail, delivery, and online order fulfillment, OSHA has guidance for keeping them safe, including:
- Warehousing Safety
- Forklift Safety (also in Spanish)
- Workplace violence in late-night retail
- Trucking Industry (also in Spanish)
- Workplace stress
- Ergonomics
Crowd management
OSHA offers resources on holiday workplace safety for warehousing, delivery and retail workers. You can also find guidance for protecting workers to help avoid injuries in large, crowded environments.
Where to go for help
Visit OSHA’s Holiday Workplace Safety page to learn more. To ask a question about workplace safety and health or report a potential hazard, call 800-321-6742 (OSHA) or file a complaint online.
Source: Doug Parker, U.S. Department of Labor Blog. Doug Parker is the assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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