According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, nearly 1.5 million people are assaulted in the workplace each year and retail sales workers are among the most numerous victims. Those statistics aren’t that surprising, considering the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says workers who are continually in contact with the public, oversee the exchange of money, work alone or in small numbers, work late at night or during early morning hours, and/or guard valuable property or possessions, are at increased risk for workplace violence.
Each of those responsibilities clearly falls under a tanning salon employee’s job description (and that of any retail sales worker), which means salon owners must be aware of the dangers of workplace violence and what they can do to make their businesses safer for employees.
NonProfitRisk.org offers the following tips for workplace safety with particular emphasis on preventing assault:
1. Use workplace design to make an assault harder to achieve. For example, cash-handling policies in retail settings often include the use of drop safes to minimize cash on hand and the posting of signs letting the public know that limited cash is kept on the premises.
In addition, installing security cameras can go a long way toward crime prevention—and, if something does happen, they make it much easier to identify and catch perpetrators. External lighting and motion detectors are also good security measures.
Also assess doors leading into and out of the salon. Be aware of any entrances or exits that are often left unlocked or propped open, and the number of areas where would-be attackers can hide.
2. Implement administrative controls, such as altering staffing plans and work habits. For instance, increasing the number of employees on duty makes it harder for crimes not to be seen or cries of help to go unheard. Of course, this is not always possible—particularly during slow season. If employees must be alone, make sure they are taking safety precautions during opening and closing procedures and during money drops and pickups.
3. Define your policies and procedures for assessing and reporting threats. A significant number of crimes have advance warning signs, such as threats or displays of inappropriate behavior. Therefore, you must educate staff members as to what conduct is not acceptable and make sure they know to report such behavior to you immediately even if they aren’t sure that the person is actually threatening. The old adage rings true here: Better safe than sorry.
Overall, the key to dealing with violence in the workplace is to be aware that these situations can and do occur, and that your best bet at protecting your business and your employees is to initiate preventative measures before something happens.
Amy Thorlin is the training director for the National Tanning Training Institute (NTTI), a Phoenix-based provider of education and certification programs for the indoor tanning industry.
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