SafeWork SA says there is a critical gap in the protection of retail workers.

The authority says its recent investigations have highlighted a lack of training in dealing with violence, aggression, and armed robberies. 

Between June 2022 and January 2023, SafeWork SA inspectors visited 89 retail establishments across South Australia, both in metropolitan and regional areas. This initiative, known as the ‘Preventing Violence and Aggression in Retail Proactive Compliance Project’, has now published its closure report (PDF).

During this campaign, inspectors issued 28 Improvement Notices, with a glaring issue surfacing as the top concern. 

Up to 42% of non-compliance notices were linked to the absence of adequate training for retail employees on how to handle violent or aggressive situations, including armed robberies.

The next major area of concern was the absence of safe work systems to mitigate risks, accounting for 14% of all non-compliance cases. 

These systems encompassed security measures such as screens, duress alarms, signage, and CCTV cameras to address potential violence and aggression in retail settings.

Among various retail categories, service stations garnered the most notices, with nine, though they also saw the highest number of site visits. 

Notices were also issued at supermarkets, general retailers, pharmacies, and fast-food outlets.

To combat this alarming issue, the South Australian Government implemented new regulations last year, aligning penalties for assaulting retail workers with those for assaulting police officers or paramedics.

Between August 25, 2022, and August 31, 2023, the South Australian Police laid 215 criminal charges related to violence and aggression in the retail sector, including theft using force, assault, assault causing harm, and more.

A 2017 national survey by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) revealed that 85% of retail workers had experienced verbal abuse from customers in the past year, while nearly 65% reported no training on handling threatening situations, including violent or abusive customers.

Kyam Maher, Industrial Relations and Public Sector Minister, has emphasised the importance of retail in South Australia's economy and called for collective efforts to protect retail workers, acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic had subjected them to unwarranted abuse.