Retail Compliance Checklist: H&S for UK Shop Owners

Retail might not seem as hazardous as construction or manufacturing, but UK shops and stores present a surprising range of health and safety risks — to both staff and customers. Manual handling injuries, slips and trips, violence against staff, fire safety, lone working and even chemical exposure from cleaning products are all everyday realities in the retail sector.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recorded over 35,000 non-fatal injuries to retail workers in 2022/23, and the sector consistently ranks among the highest for reported incidents. For shop owners and retail managers, understanding and managing these risks is not just a legal obligation — it is essential for protecting your people, your customers and your business.

This guide provides a practical compliance checklist covering the key health and safety requirements for UK retailers.

Your Legal Obligations

As a retail employer, your obligations come from several key pieces of legislation:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — the overarching duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by your business
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — requirement for risk assessments, competent assistance, and health and safety arrangements
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — fire risk assessment and fire safety management
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 — assessment and control of manual handling risks
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 — workplace conditions including temperature, ventilation, lighting, welfare facilities
• Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 — for staff using computers and tills

If you employ 5 or more people, you must have a written health and safety policy and record your risk assessments in writing.

Fire Risk Assessment

Every retail premises must have a fire risk assessment. This must be carried out by a “competent person” and should cover:

Sources of Ignition

• Electrical equipment (tills, computers, heaters, lighting)
• Cooking or food preparation areas (if applicable)
• Smoking areas
• Heating systems
• Electrical wiring and distribution boards

Sources of Fuel

• Stock and packaging materials
• Cardboard and paper
• Furniture and fixtures
• Cleaning chemicals and aerosols
• Christmas decorations and promotional displays (seasonal fire load)

People at Risk

• Staff, including those in stockrooms, offices and loading areas
• Customers, including those with mobility difficulties, pushchairs, or unfamiliarity with the premises
• Contractors and delivery drivers

Fire Safety Measures

• Fire detection and alarm system — appropriate for the size and layout of the premises
• Emergency lighting on all escape routes
• Fire extinguishers — serviced annually and appropriate for the fire types present
• Clear, signed escape routes — kept clear at all times
• Fire doors — maintained, not propped open, closing properly
• Fire action notices — displayed at key locations
• Staff training — all staff trained in fire procedures, extinguisher use and evacuation
• Fire drills — conducted at least every 12 months (6-monthly is better)
• Records — maintained for all training, drills, testing and maintenance

Manual Handling

Manual handling is one of the most significant risks in retail. Staff regularly lift, carry, push and pull stock, displays, delivery crates and equipment.

Common Manual Handling Tasks

• Unloading deliveries from vehicles
• Stacking and restacking shelves (including overhead and floor-level shelving)
• Moving promotional displays
• Carrying boxes to and from stockrooms
• Operating roll cages and pallet trucks
• Lifting heavy or awkward items for customers

Compliance Checklist

• Risk assessments completed for all significant manual handling tasks
• Task design: Where possible, eliminate or reduce manual handling (use trolleys, sack trucks, step stools for high shelves)
• Load management: Ensure stock is delivered in manageable package sizes where possible
• Training: All staff trained in safe manual handling techniques
• Equipment: Appropriate manual handling aids available and maintained (roll cages, pallet trucks, step stools, kick stools)
• Reporting: Staff encouraged to report any manual handling difficulties or musculoskeletal symptoms

Slips, Trips and Falls

Slips and trips are the most common cause of injury in the retail sector. They affect both staff and customers, and customer claims can be extremely costly.

Common Causes

• Wet floors: Rainwater tracked in by customers, spillages, mopping
• Trailing cables: From tills, displays, temporary equipment
• Uneven surfaces: Damaged flooring, thresholds, ramps
• Cluttered walkways: Stock, delivery crates, promotional displays obstructing paths
• Poor lighting: Particularly in stockrooms, loading areas and stairs
• Mats and carpet edges: Curled edges, worn mats, unsecured rugs
• Outdoor surfaces: Leaves, ice, moss on paths and car parks

Compliance Checklist

• Floor surfaces appropriate for the activity and maintained in good condition
• Cleaning regime that minimises wet floor periods (clean during quiet times, use “wet floor” signs, use fast-drying methods)
• Spillage procedure: Immediate response process known to all staff, with cleaning materials accessible
• Cable management: Cables routed away from walkways or covered with cable protectors
• Lighting: Adequate throughout, including stockrooms, stairs and external areas
• Housekeeping: Walkways kept clear. Stock stored properly. Waste removed promptly
• Entrance matting: Adequate length (minimum 3 paces) to remove rainwater from shoes. Well-maintained and secured
• Outdoor areas: Regular maintenance programme including seasonal hazards (gritting, leaf clearing)

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

If staff use computers, tills with screens, or other display screen equipment as a significant part of their work, you have obligations under the DSE Regulations:

• Workstation assessments for all habitual DSE users
• Adequate workstations: Adjustable chairs, correct screen height and distance, adequate lighting, minimal glare
• Breaks: Regular breaks from DSE work (or changes of activity)
• Eye tests: Offered to habitual DSE users on request, with corrective appliances provided if needed for DSE work
• Training: Users informed of risks and trained in workstation setup

For checkout operators who spend extended periods at tills, particular attention should be paid to posture, repetitive movements and the ergonomics of the checkout design.

Lone Working

Many retail staff work alone, particularly in smaller shops, during early morning/late evening hours, or in stockrooms. Lone working increases risk because:

• There is no one immediately available to help in an emergency
• Lone workers may be more vulnerable to violence or aggression
• Medical emergencies (fainting, allergic reactions, injury) may go unnoticed

Compliance Checklist

• Risk assessment specifically addressing lone working scenarios
• Communication systems: Regular check-in procedures (phone, radio, app-based)
• Violence prevention: Security measures appropriate to the risk (CCTV, panic buttons, screens, training)
• Emergency procedures: Lone workers know what to do in an emergency and can summon help
• Health considerations: Lone workers should not have medical conditions that make working alone unsafe without appropriate measures
• Training: Specific training for lone working scenarios, including conflict de-escalation

COSHH in Retail

Retail premises may seem low-risk for chemical exposure, but most shops use:

• Cleaning products: Floor cleaners, glass cleaners, toilet cleaners, degreasers, disinfectants
• Pest control products: If handled in-house
• Specialist products: Depending on what you sell (e.g. garden chemicals, DIY products, beauty products)

Compliance Checklist

• Inventory of all hazardous substances used on premises
• Safety Data Sheets obtained and accessible for all products
• COSHH assessments completed for each substance
• PPE provided where required (gloves, goggles)
• Training for all staff who handle chemicals
• Storage in appropriate, labelled containers away from food and customer areas
• Substitution considered — can you use less hazardous alternatives?

For a detailed guide, see our article on COSHH regulations.

Customer Safety

Your duty of care extends to everyone on your premises, including customers. Key considerations:

Store Layout

• Aisles wide enough for pushchairs and wheelchairs
• Heavy items stored at waist height, not overhead
• Displays stable and not a topple hazard
• Glass and breakable items secured where possible
• Trolley and basket storage that does not obstruct access

Children’s Safety

• Small items that present a choking hazard stored out of children’s reach
• Display fixtures stable and not climbable
• Escalators and stairs visible and protected
• Supervision expectations communicated where appropriate (e.g. soft play areas)

Product Safety

• All products sold comply with relevant safety standards
• Product recalls actioned promptly
• Age-restricted products (knives, aerosols, fireworks, alcohol) sold only with appropriate checks

Staff Training Requirements

All retail staff should receive training in:

• Health and safety induction: Workplace hazards, fire procedures, emergency contacts, accident reporting, first aid arrangements
• Manual handling: Safe lifting, carrying and pushing techniques
• Fire safety: Annual refresher on fire procedures and equipment use
• Specific role training: Forklift operation, DSE setup, chemical handling (as applicable)
• Customer safety: How to manage spillages, report hazards and assist customers in emergencies
• Lone working: For any staff who work alone

Training records must be maintained and kept up to date. For more on managing training effectively, see our guide to training record management.

Opening and Closing Procedures

Structured opening and closing checklists ensure that safety-critical checks happen consistently, regardless of who is on shift:

Opening Checklist

• External areas safe (no ice, obstructions, damage)
• Fire exits clear and operational
• Fire alarm and emergency lighting functional
• Heating/cooling functioning
• Temperature checks (if food is sold)
• Cash handling procedures followed
• Lone worker procedures activated (if applicable)
• Any overnight incidents identified and reported

Closing Checklist

• All customers off premises
• Fire exits secured
• Electrical equipment switched off (except fridges, freezers, alarm, emergency lighting)
• Waste removed and stored correctly
• Cash secured
• Premises secured (locks, shutters, alarm)
• Lone worker checked out safely

Digitise Your Retail Compliance

Managing daily checklists, risk assessments, training records, fire safety documentation and incident reports across one or multiple retail locations generates a significant compliance workload. Digital systems ensure that opening and closing checks are completed consistently, issues are escalated in real time, training is tracked automatically, and all your evidence is available instantly when inspectors or insurers ask for it.

Learn more about how Assistant Manager can streamline compliance across your retail operation with our Digital Checklists, Risk Assessments and Accident Reporting features.