By MICHELLE HERBISON
WORKSAFE has received nearly 350 injury claims from Geelong retail workers over the past five years, costing $6 million in medical bills, wages and other expenses.
WorkSafe regional director Melinda Collinson said inspectors would visit Geelong stores over the Christmas and New Year rush to remind owners and staff about safety.
The visits would focus on “housekeeping” practices, ladder safety, storage and stock management processes and safety training for young and new workers.
“This time of year, many businesses put on Christmas casuals for the summer months, so it’s particularly important that young or new employees receive appropriate training and supervision.,” Ms Collinson said.
“They should also be encouraged to speak up if they are uncertain about how to do something safely.”
Statistics showed 53 per cent of manual handling-related injuries in clothing and footwear retail came from handling objects such as boxes, cartons and crates.
Laddders caused a quarter of slip, trip and fall injuries.
Ms Collinson encouraged a proactive approach to injury prevention by keeping rear store areas tidy and using trolleys or tables instead of lifting heavy stock from floors.
