So, how can companies reduce injuries for in-store workers? Automation technology is one solution.
What is Automation Technology?
Automation uses advanced machines and computers instead of humans for certain tasks. For stores, automation handles dangerous and heavy jobs. This protects human workers.
Examples are automated:
- Lifting and carrying
- Stocking shelves
- Cleaning floors
- Operating cash registers
- Checking out customers
This technology is getting more advanced and affordable every year. So more stores are adopting automation to improve safety.
Common Causes of In-Store Employee Injuries
Before looking at how automation helps, let’s review the most common accidents that affect store workers:
1. Lifting Injuries
Stores receive heavy shipments of products daily. Employees must unload trucks, then stock the items on shelves. This repetitive manual handling strains the body over time.
Common lifting injuries include:
- Back and shoulder sprains
- Slipped disks in the spine
- Muscle pulls and tears
2. Falls
Store workers are always on the move. They roam aisles to assist customers, stock shelves, and tidy up areas. Rushing around increases the risk of slips and falls.
Staff also climb ladders to shelve and organize items. Falling from even short heights can cause:
- Sprains
- Broken bones
- Head trauma
Slip and fall mishaps often lead to workers’ compensation claims and the need for engaging workers’ compensation lawyer law firms. These raise costs for businesses.
3. Cuts and Bruises
Employees handle all kinds of stock with their hands daily. Sharp, heavy or unstable items pose risks. Common minor injuries are:
- Razor cuts from box cutters or blades
- Jammed fingers from appliances, doors or carts
- Bruises from falling objects
- Scrapes from shelving or displays
While small, frequent cuts reduce productivity from bandaging and healing.
4. Repetitive Strain Injuries
Staff who perform repetitive actions are at risk of:
- Tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
These gradual injuries cause swelling, numbness and disability. And the need for treatments like cortisone shots and ergonomic aids tends to lead to out-of-control costs.
So in summary – stores expose workers to all kinds of safety hazards daily. Next, let’s see how technology helps.
How Automation Reduces In-Store Employee Injuries
Automating certain dangerous and labor-intensive tasks keeps human workers out of harm’s way. Let’s look at store applications.
1. Automated Lifting and Carrying
Powered robots now transport heavy store items without strain. Some models have:
- Wheels to mechanically move shelves, pallets and boxes
- Conveyer belts to pass items down aisles
- Robotic arms that safely stack and lift stock
This lifting equipment prevents employee back, shoulder and muscle injuries. It also reduces slips and falls while handling heavy products manually.
2. Automated Floor Care
Stores require constant cleaning to stay tidy and sanitary. Mopping floors manually makes staff bend repetitively. It also exposes them to falls on slippery and wet floors.
Now automated scrubbers, sweepers and vacuums tidy up stores. Employees simply program and monitor the machines. This automation prevents:
- Back injuries from bending
- Head trauma from wet falls
- Cuts from handling broken glass or debris
It also enhances cleaning quality and frees up staff for other tasks.
3. Automated Stocking and Shelf Management
Filling shelves swiftly and neatly is critical for stores. But climbing ladders and handling merchandise causes frequent sprains and falls.
With automated stocking, programmed robots neatly arrange shelves without errors. Some also scan shelves to signal when more inventory is needed. This helps avoid:
- Muscle strains from lifting, bending and climbing
- Bruises and scrapes from falling stock or tripping over low shelves
- Mistakes from rushed or repetitive organizing
It also ensures shelves stay perfectly faced and stocked.
4. Self Check-Out Stations
Customer self check-out systems allow shoppers to scan purchases themselves. This reduces repetitive strain for cashiers from constantly handling goods and typing codes.
Self check-outs can also weigh items, calculate totals and process payments automatically. Cashiers then mostly monitor stations rather than operate them manually all day. This automation cuts risk for injuries like:
- Arm, wrist and finger strains
- Shoulder and back soreness from standing
- Scrapes from handling damaged product barcodes
Installing more self check-out options enhances safety. It also boosts customer convenience.
Additional Benefits of In-Store Automation
Beyond reducing employee accidents and injuries, automating certain tasks has other advantages for stores.
1. Lower Premiums
Automation cuts injury frequency by removing hazards. This keeps premiums lower over time.
2. Increased Efficiency
Humans tire and get distracted – but machines work quickly without breaks. Automating repetitive tasks like stocking shelves boosts speed and accuracy.
Staff also focus better on skilled aspects like customer service when machinery handles dull or dangerous duties. This raises store productivity.
3. Enhanced Cleanliness and Safety
Automated cleaning solutions like self-guided floor scrubbers are extremely thorough. This creates brighter and healthier stores for customers.
Automatic organization of stock also reduces falling debris risks. Overall, automation enhances store order, cleanliness and safety in all areas.
4. Better Customer Experiences
Automation gives employees more time to engage with customers on the floor. Extra assistance raises satisfaction.
Shoppers also appreciate conveniences like self check-out when lines get backed up. This improves brand loyalty and repeat visits over time.
So in summary, leveraging in-store automation has financial, efficiency and customer benefits beyond protecting worker health.
Types of Retail Automation Worth Investing In
Many types of automation can prevent employee accidents and injuries in stores. Smart investments to consider are:
Automated Lifting and Transport
- Auto-lifting crates, pallets and boxes
- Motorized hand trucks and forklifts
- Robotic product conveyers
- Self-driving floor cleaning machines
These take over strenuous lifting that strains backs and shoulders. Automated transport is also faster for stocking while preventing falls.
Automated Floor Care
- Self-guiding robotic floor scrubbers
- AI-powered spill detectors
- Automated vacuums and sweeper models
This automation handles slippery and repetitive floors tasks. It also keeps floors immaculate to prevent customer slips.
Automated Shelving and Storage
- Robotic shelf organizers
- RFID sensors to track inventory
- Automated storage and retrieval
- Robotic carts and Arms
Automating organization and restocking reduces muscular strains and perils from climbing ladders.
Automated Front End
- Self check-out kiosks
- Scan and go mobile purchasing
- Autonomous cash recyclers and counters
- Computer vision product recognition
This technology offloads cashiers’ repetitive motions to prevent long-term injury. Customers also appreciate the speed.
Artificial Intelligence
- Machine learning for visual monitoring
- Predictive analytics to allocate tasks
- Natural language processing for queries
- Automated hazard alerts
AI’s data insights guide safety decisions. It also provides helpful tools to workers in real time.
So in summary, various automation technologies suit different unsafe tasks in stores. Analyze injury patterns to identify priority areas for upgrades.
How Retailers Can Get Started with Automation
Research shows 75% of businesses will adopt automation over five years. But upgrading can seem expensive upfront. Here are tips to get started:
Start Small, Scale Up
Look critically at just 1-2 injury-prone tasks to tackle first with automation, like lifting or cleaning. Over time, expand technology to other risky areas once return on investment kicks in.
Rent Before You Buy
Many vendors let you rent automation tools before purchasing. This avoids major upfront capital costs to test technology. If automation works well and pays off, buying full-scale is the next step.
Consider Outside Funding
Explore financing like equipment leasing and loans to avoid large lump automation investments. Government grants or insurance discounts could possibly even offset costs. Partner with solutions providers.
Train Staff Thoroughly
No automation tool works properly without great internal support. Invest heavily in employee testing, troubleshooting training and change management for smooth tech transitions.
Review Analytics Frequently
Measure automation’s direct safety and productivity impacts monthly using data like injury metrics and output. Quantify technology value to improve and expand logically over time.
The Future with Retail Automation
Industry researchers predict global retail automation investment will grow over 15% annually over the next decade. This shows technology’s vast injury prevention and performance potential.
Automation ensures shelves stay fully stocked while freeing up human workers for better customer interactions. It also boosts accuracy of repetitive tasks like checkout scanning and inventory handling.
Over time, even more hazard-prone roles like warehouse packing and delivery driving could be fully automated. This would further expand safety, production and profits.
But despite growing capabilities, most experts believe automation will augment rather than replace human store workers. The majority of roles will adapt alongside technology instead of disappearing.
Customers still value personal connections from staff. And human critical thinking outperforms machines for complex requests. So blended teams of people and technology will likely be retail’s future model.
The most successful retailers will strategically apply automation to relieve workers of dull, dirty and dangerous tasks. This maximizes safety and productivity side-by-side. Workers handle service while technology handles hazards.
Key Takeaways on Leveraging Retail Automation
Here are the core recommendations for stores to reap safety, efficiency and financial gains from automation:
- Analyze injury data to identifyautomation opportunities that remove hazards
- Start with 1-2 high-risk tasks before expanding technology
- Quantify automation benefits like lower injury rates to justify investments
- Train and support staff thoroughly on new systems
- Always have humans focus on skill-based work alongside robots
- Keep enhancing automation capabilities over time
Adopting thoughtful automation is critical for retailers’ profitability, sustainability and workforce safety moving forward. Removing risks also boosts staff morale and retention after COVID-19’s upheaval.
But again, robots can’t offer empathy, problem-solving and team spirit like people. So the wisest store investments enable humans and technology to jointly excel based on their complementary strengths.
The future of retail requires this blended approach of leveraging automation while still valuing employees. With the right balance, workers stay both maximally safe and meaningfully irreplaceable.
So in summary, retail automation brings many benefits, but should be adopted carefully along with fair workforce policies. Used judiciously, automation can prevent injuries, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and lead to better customer experiences. Employees and companies alike prosper. It’s a win-win for both profits and people.