Supermarket Safety Checklist

Most people visit the supermarket on a weekly or sometimes daily basis. This makes for a lot of traffic -- and a lot of potential germs. Food safety protocols, as well as general safety precautions, are needed. If you're a supermarket manager or a consumer, you should make sure you are following some of the basic safety precautions to prevent injury or illness in the store.

Worker Sanitation

• Workers employed by the supermarket should have sanitation in mind at all times. Workers generally handle cash, have physical contact with a large number of people and also touch the food products that shoppers will soon be eating. Workers should keep their hands and all exposed portions of their arms clean at all times. Regular and thorough washing of hands is necessary and fingernails should be trimmed and clean. Clothing should be washed and clean and there should be availability of hand sanitizers at workstations such as registers or stock rooms.

Meat and Deli

• The meat department and the deli must be well tended. The fresh meats and other food products in these areas are breeding grounds for bacteria that could easily spread to other surfaces. Care must be taken to avoid cross-contamination of food products and proper sanitation of surfaces is a constant need whenever food comes into contact with another surface. Equipment safety is also important. Make sure meat-cutting equipment is in good condition, clean and free of blade damage. Floors should be covered with non-slip surfaces and ergonomic mats at workstations.

Slips and Falls

• Slips and falls account for a significant number of injuries and accidents in supermarkets. You should make sure the factors commonly associated with falls are tended to closely. Only use properly-sized ladders for stocking. Post signs to let customers know they should call for help to reach high items on shelves. Walk the aisles regularly to inspect for liquids spilled on floors or for clutter in aisles that could pose a tripping hazard. Place mats in front of produce so sprayed water will not make the floor slippery. Also watch for fallen grapes or other potentially slippery foods in the floor.

Shopper Safety Recommendations

• If you're a shopper in the supermarket, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from harm. Use the sanitary wipes provided by the store to wipe down your cart handles. Many other people have touched it throughout the day. If your store doesn't provide them, bring your own. Buy all of your non-perishables first and move to the fresh food last, so there's less time for refrigerated items to warm up on the way home to your refrigerator. You may even want to keep a cooler in your car for transport if you plan to go other places. If you have children with you, make sure they only get in the proper areas of the cart and don't ride on the exterior or climb underneath, as that could lead to injury.