Which Types of Retail Jobs Are the Most Dangerous?

In retail work, there are many different types of positions and work requirements. Accordingly, employees in retail jobs may perform a wide range of tasks themselves, or they may have job-related tasks that are significantly different from other retail employees who work in specific jobs or areas that are different from their own. Regardless of the type of retail job a person has, this work can be dangerous. Indeed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail workers have the third-highest rate of nonfatal injuries every year in comparison with jobs in other private industries. Injuries among retail workers are only slightly distant to injuries in health care jobs and manufacturing work. To put that information in perspective, there are more nonfatal injuries in retail professions every year than there are in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing jobs.

Recognizing that retail work is hazardous, it is important to know what some of the risk factors are and what types of retail tasks are especially prone to causing injuries. Our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers can give you more details, and we can help you with your workers’ compensation claim today if you were injured while working retail.

Risk Factors Across Retail Sectors 

When retail workers get hurt on the job, there are some risk factors that may exist regardless of the specific job tasks they perform. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Retail and Wholesale Injury Report, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that the following are the clearest risk factors for retail job injuries:

• Being within the first year of your job, which is when about 40 percent of nonfatal retail injuries happen;
• Being a young worker between the ages of 16-24, since retail workers in this age group account for about 40 percent of all nonfatal injuries each year; and
• Working any retail task or job at a convenience store, where injuries are more common than at other retail establishments.

Retail Positions and Known Injury Risks 

While there are certain risk factors that can make it more likely that an employee in any type of retail position or performing any type of retail job task is more likely to be injured than another employee, there are also some types of retail jobs that are more hazardous than others. Retail jobs that involve repetitive motions like operating a cash register for eight hours per day, lifting heavy boxes, or managing liquid spills in food market aisles can be more likely to sustain work-related injuries.

Although any retail worker can get hurt and work, the following are some of the retail positions in which nonfatal injuries tend to be more common:

• Cashiers;
• Inventory and stock workers;
• Warehouse workers;
• Product demonstrators; and
• Cleaners or custodial workers.

Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Lawyer 

Were you recently injured while working in a retail position? Whether you suffered a traumatic injury in an accident or have been diagnosed with a repetitive motion or repetitive stress injury, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in Maryland. Do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our experienced Maryland employee injury lawyers who handle food market and retail worker claims at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC. We can talk with you today to learn more about your workplace injury and to help you seek the compensation you need at this difficult time. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you.

Sources:

bls.gov/ooh/sales/retail-sales-workers.htm

prnewswire.com/news-releases/40-of-retail-injuries-happen-in-year-one-sentry-study-finds-302326218.html

cdc.gov/niosh/young-workers/retail/index.html

oshatoday.com/news-digest/most-dangerous-job-it-could-be-c-store-worker/