Retailer invests in safety
July 9, 2009
The British Safety Council (BSC) has congratulated a retail chain for "leading the way in health and safety practice" in the supermarket sector, after noting how the company has provided health and safety training throughout its workforce.
The BSC’s 2009 survey of employees and bosses found that over half of employees from the retail or sales industries did not have regular health and safety training in their workplace.
However, the BSC congratulated the Somerfield supermarket chain for appearing to have bucked this trend with 1000 of the retailer’s staff gaining the BSC Level 1 Certificate in Health and Safety at Work.
A source at the BSC said that around 300 employees from Somerfield’s head office and over 700 store managers completed the training, achieving a 99% pass rate.
Twenty-two people scored the maximum 40 out of 40 in the exam, which tests basic health and safety knowledge.
David Price, Property Manager at Somerfield, was among the candidates that achieved 100%. He said, “It makes you more aware and it brings potential hazards to your attention that you might normally walk past without noticing.”
The Chief Executive of the BSC, Brian Nimick, personally presented certificates to those who had achieved top marks at a ceremony held at Somerfield’s Bristol headquarters.
Brian Nimick congratulated Somerfield for its commitment to health and safety saying, "The figures from our annual survey showed that over half of employees within retail or sales do not have regular health and safety training. It is good to see that a large corporation like Somerfield is investing in the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees."
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