Occupational safety advocates warn, late-night gas station and convenience store clerks are at a heightened risk of workplace violence. The Enterprise reports, “the clerks, attendants and cashiers who staff the counters at gas stations and corner grocery stores, often alone and late into the night, are among the most vulnerable to workplace violence and harassment, falling victim to on-the-job attacks at a rate that approaches law enforcement officers and people who work with the mentally ill.”
Young workers are particularly vulnerable to “inappropriate or threatening behavior,” the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health tells media. The coalition reports, those under 25-years-old are “twice as likely to be injured on the job…and often know little about their workplace rights.”
The coalition offers training sessions and urges employers to:
- Think about how the physical setup of their stores affects the safety of their workers.
- Keep businesses well lit.
- Invest in appropriate security systems.
- Make sure windows are clear.
- Train employees how to handle confrontation with a verbally abusive costumer.
- Train employees how to respond to a robbery or violent situation.
Read more at The Enterprise.
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