Is there anything that I can do to prevent my premium from increasing? There are many actions with little or no cost that can be done. Tip 43 – 7 Tips to effectively manage Risk in your shop A number of you contacted me urging me to meet with Paul Cummins, Managing Director of SeaChange. I asked Paul to put this weeks’ Tip together for us. There are many things outside of your control when it comes to insurance, but risk management is NOT one of them. Ensuring that you address some of the key tips below will help you reduce the risk of incidents and consequential claims occurring in your store. 1. Make sure you are legally compliant. Do you have an up-to-date and site-specific safety statement? 2. Make sure that you effectively communicate risk to your staff. Are you confident that all of your staff are a) aware of the hazards & risks in their area of operation and b) understand how to control these hazards & risks to minimise damage to both themselves and the public. (Reading and signing a safety statement does NOT guarantee that your staff effectively understand the hazards, risks and controls in their area of operation). 3. Provide practical H&S training to your staff. Ensure that relevant staff are covered in practical H&S training (i.e.: Manual Handling, Basic First Aid, Fire Safety etc.) 4. Investigate accidents the right way. Are ALL of your staff trained on a robust system that gathers facts while ensuring the customer/staff member is also being cared for in the event of an incident? Ensure you record CCTV footage and a complete clear incident report form that focuses only on the facts. 5. Learn from near misses. Near misses are very valuable pieces of information that should lead your staff to put in place immediate corrective safety actions to ensure that an accident does not occur in the future. Are all of your staff engaged in implementing safety correctives when the need is spotted? 6. Try to have an external audit at least annually. All retail sites should have an internal safety auditing structure; however it is also recommended practice to have your site audited on its safety & risk management performance by an external expert on an annual basis. Fresh eyes make a big difference. 7. Remember, 80-95% of all workplace accidents are behaviour-based. In a nutshell, try to ensure your staff take ownership for their own safety and the safety of others. Awareness and ownership will reduce the likelihood of silly behaviours leading to accidents. Dr. Paul Cummins, Managing Director (SeaChange Ltd.) Always remember – call us to discuss any/every incident. We will advise and guide you.