Occupational safety in retail means assessing and eliminating the hazards on the shop floor, at the checkout and in the storeroom under section 5 ArbSchG. The focal points of health and safety in German retail are ladders and shelving, lifting and carrying, the checkout workstation, robberies and conflicts with customers. The responsible insurer is usually the Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik (BGHW).
A shop is not an office business. For the branch office and head office, see the article risk assessment in the office; this article covers work in front of and behind the counter.
How does retail differ from the office?
Retail differs from the office through physical work, public access and cash. In the office, screen work dominates; in a shop it is climbing, lifting, long standing and contact with customers, some of them aggressive. This leads to different regulations and usually a different accident insurance institution.
The basic duties are the same: risk assessment, support from an occupational safety specialist and a company doctor under DGUV Regulation 2, safety training, first aid and fire safety. They apply from the first employee, including mini-jobbers and temporary staff.
| Feature | Office and administration | Retail |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible insurer | usually VBG | usually BGHW |
| Main hazards | screen work, sitting, psychological stress | ladders, loads, standing, robbery, customer conflict |
| Equipment requiring inspection | electrical equipment | electrical equipment, ladders, shelving, pallet trucks, roller doors |
| Additional regulation | ArbStättV, annex no. 6 (screen work) | DGUV Regulation 25 "Robbery prevention" |
| First aiders from 21 present | 5 percent | 5 percent |
| Support time under DGUV Regulation 2 | depends on the economic sector | depends on the economic sector |
The support group depends on the business's economic sector. Which group applies to a shop is set out in the annex to DGUV Regulation 2 in the BGHW's version.
Ladders, step stools and shelving
Ladders and shelving are in constant use on the shop floor because goods are restocked and fetched from above. Ladders and step stools are work equipment under the Industrial Safety Regulation: the employer must assess their use, have them inspected regularly and train employees in their safe use.
Under section 3 para. 6 BetrSichV the employer sets the type, scope and intervals of recurring inspections so that the equipment stays safe until the next inspection. In practice a competent person inspects ladders and step stools once a year and records this.
Common findings during inspections in retail:
- Chairs, drinks crates or shelf boards used as a step because the step stool is in the storeroom.
- Ladders without labelling, without an inspection record or with damaged feet.
- Shelving without load signs, with bent beams or without impact protection in the storeroom.
Storeroom shelving falls under DGUV Rule 108-007 "Storage equipment and devices". It requires the permissible load to be marked and regular inspections.
Lifting, carrying and standing for long periods
Lifting and carrying is a daily strain on the back in retail, for example when unloading roll cages, stocking drinks or scanning heavy goods. Under section 2 para. 1 LasthandhabV the employer must first avoid hazardous manual handling through organisation or aids.
Only where lifting cannot be avoided does the employer assess the conditions under section 2 para. 2 LasthandhabV and keep the risk as low as possible. Proven measures:
- Pallet trucks and roll cages instead of carrying boxes.
- Heavy goods stored at grip height, light goods on top.
- Checkouts where heavy goods need not be lifted over the scanner, for example with a hand scanner for drinks crates.
Standing for long periods is the second constant strain. Under ArbStättV annex no. 3.3 para. 2, seating must be provided where work can be done fully or partly seated or the workflow allows sitting at times. For pregnant employees, section 11 para. 5 MuSchG sets a firm limit: after the fifth month, a pregnant woman may not stand mostly still for more than four hours a day, and without aids she may not regularly lift more than 5 kilograms or occasionally more than 10 kilograms. The procedure after a pregnancy is announced is described in maternity protection and risk assessment.
Checkout workstation and robbery prevention
The checkout workstation combines ergonomics and security. Ergonomically, it is about seating, reach, draughts at the entrance and moving heavy goods. In terms of security, it is about cash: since its revision, DGUV Regulation 25 "Robbery prevention" explicitly covers retail outlets for the first time.
DGUV Regulation 25 replaces the former accident prevention regulations "Cash desks" and sets protection goals instead of detailed building requirements. For retail it is explained in DGUV Rule 108-010 "Robbery prevention in retail outlets". Three duties are central:
- Emergency plan. The business sets out beforehand how employees behave during a robbery, who calls the police and who accompanies those affected.
- Support after a robbery. Affected employees receive support after the event, for example psychological first aid.
- Reporting. A robbery must be reported to the responsible accident insurance institution without delay, even without physical injury.
Protecting life and health takes priority over protecting cash and goods. Little cash in the till, regular skimming, no cash transports by a single employee and a clearly visible checkout area reduce the risk. How to report an accident at work is explained in reporting an accident at work.
Customer conflict and psychological stress
Customer conflict is a hazard of its own in retail and belongs in the assessment of psychological stress under section 5 para. 3 no. 6 ArbSchG. This includes abuse, threats, shoplifters and late shifts with few staff.
Clear rules that everyone knows are effective: nobody pursues shoplifters alone, at quiet times at least two people work or there is an emergency call, and after an incident there is a short debrief. How the assessment of psychological stress works is described in psychological stress in the risk assessment.
Worked example: duties in three shop sizes
Which duties apply alongside the risk assessment depends on the number of employees and how many are present at the same time. The table below works through three shops.
| Shop | First aiders under section 26 DGUV Regulation 1 | Fire wardens under ASR A2.2 (guideline 5 %) | Occupational safety committee under section 11 ASiG | Support under DGUV Regulation 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist shop, 8 employees, 4 per shift | 1 per shift | 1 per shift | no | alternative support possible depending on BGHW rules |
| Branch, 35 employees, 18 per shift | 1 per shift | 1 per shift | yes, more than 20 employees | alternative support possible depending on BGHW rules |
| Department store, 120 employees, 70 per shift | 4 per shift (5 % of 70, rounded up) | 4 per shift | yes, quarterly meetings | standard support, more than 50 employees |
The number per shift is assumed. First aiders and fire wardens are based on the employees present at the same time, not on headcount; with many customers or a higher fire risk, ASR A2.2 requires more fire wardens. The first aider calculator works out your own numbers, and the background is in number of first aiders and fire wardens. For the occupational safety committee, part-time staff count pro rata under section 11 ASiG.
How to prepare the risk assessment for a shop
The risk assessment for a shop is prepared in six steps, from clarifying the responsible insurer to documentation with a review date. Separating the areas is essential.
- Clarify the insurer and its rules. Establish whether the BGHW or another institution is responsible and use its version of DGUV Regulations 1, 2 and 25 as the basis.
- Separate the areas. Record the shop floor, checkout, storeroom and goods receipt, cold areas and office separately, because different hazards apply in each.
- Identify hazards per activity. Go through ladders and shelving, loads, checkout work, robbery, customer conflict, standing, maternity protection and psychological stress for every activity.
- Set measures in order of priority. First technical solutions such as roll cages, pallet trucks and checkouts with seats, then organisational ones such as cash rules, personal ones such as safety shoes last.
- Plan inspections, emergency plan and training. Set inspection intervals for ladders and shelving, draw up an emergency plan under DGUV Regulation 25, appoint first aiders and schedule safety training.
- Document and review. Record results, measures, responsible persons and dates under section 6 ArbSchG and review immediately after a refit, new activities or a robbery.
Safety training is especially vulnerable in retail because temporary and seasonal staff often start without it. It is due before work begins and at least annually after that. The safety training deadline calculator works out when each person's next session is due.
What support does a retail company need?
A retail company needs an occupational safety specialist for the shop floor who knows ladders, storerooms, checkouts and robbery prevention from practice. Head office, purchasing and administration, by contrast, have the topics of an office business. Ask any provider which areas they actually cover.
Safety Club specialises in office and administrative businesses. For retail companies we support head office, administration and branch offices with an occupational safety specialist on site plus digital, audit-ready documentation. Whether this fits your business is something we clarify in an initial consultation.
This article is general guidance and does not replace legal advice on individual cases. The current versions of the regulations named and the interpretation of your responsible accident insurance institution are decisive.
