The NORA Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector workshop was held at the NORA Symposium on April 20, 2006. No Symposium attendees chose to attend this workshop, at first. This may be an indication of the poor recognition of the range of occupational safety and health issues facing this multi-faceted sector. Two veteran OSH professionals were recruited and a lively discussion was held with the workshop leaders about sector issues.
A summary of information received in the NORA Docket by early April, including the Tampa Town Hall meeting on the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector, suggests a range of issues:
Benchmark / Quantify to obtain industry comparisons
Prevent workplace violence
Prevent material handling hazards
Study underserved populations
Develop safety materials for teenagers
Identify hazards/exposures
Evaluate personal protective equipment
Assess indoor air quality
Establish safety culture
The discussion identified several “marketing” issues for this sector:
From the perception of the public, retail and wholesale jobs pose little or no risk of injury or death.
A main challenge for the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector is to identify the high risk sub sectors, where homicides and traumatic injuries are common.
Improve health surveillance data are needed that provide researchers with information on which businesses and workplaces hazards are the greatest.
It is anticipated that analysis of additional comments being received in the NORA Docket and establishment of a NORA Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector Research Council will succeed in focusing much-needed attention on this sector and identifying several priority issues for future research.
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