How to run a safety induction for new retail staff

A safety induction is one of the most important things you can do for a new team member - and for your business. It sets expectations, reduces the risk of early injuries, and gives you a record that you've met your duty of care.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be a formal, all-day training session. For most small retail businesses, a structured 30-45 minute walkthrough on the first day is enough to cover the essentials.

Start with the basics: emergency exits, first aid kit location, and who to contact if something goes wrong. These are the things a new staff member needs to know before they do anything else.

Then walk through the specific hazards in your workplace. In retail, this typically includes manual handling (lifting stock, using trolleys), slip and trip hazards, cash handling procedures, and any equipment they'll be using.

Cover your incident reporting process - make sure they know what counts as an incident, how to report it, and who to tell. Many workplace injuries go unreported simply because staff don't know the process.

Finish with a checklist sign-off. Both you and the new staff member should sign to confirm the induction took place and what was covered. Keep this on file - it's your evidence of compliance if anything is ever questioned.