When thinking of jobs that might be thought of as “dangerous”, a grocery store clerk is not one that usually springs to mind. As with any profession, however, it doesn’t come without its own risks.
Below are some of the common types of injuries grocery store workers may face at work.
1. Repetitive strain injury
It’s probably easy to understand why this is relatively common. Tasks grocery clerks carry out on a day-to-day basis are all quite repetitive. From scanning items through the checkout to stacking shelves and bagging groceries, these actions can cause sprains and muscle damage which can present itself as repetitive strain injuries.
The pain from a repetitive strain injury can leave grocery clerks out of work for weeks, if not months, at a time while they recover.
2. Slips, trips and falls
There are lots of things that can cause a hazard while walking around the grocery store. Adverse weather can make the floor wet and slippery, customers may drop items on the floor and there may be items left lying around which can be tripped over.
This can result in minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes but it also can result in much more serious injuries such as broken bones and head trauma, especially when falling from height such as while using ladders.
3. Cuts and lacerations
Replenishing stock on shelves from large boxes can involve using items such as box cutters and other sharp objects. This can result in cuts and can vary greatly in seriousness. Failure to provide proper training or protective clothing can be an important contributing factor to this type of injury.
If you’ve been injured at work, you may be entitled to claim workers’ compensation for the harm you’ve suffered and to provide financial relief while you recover.
