Each type of business can have its own particular set of safety concerns connected to it. Among the things that this can impact for a business is what safety steps it may want to take when it comes to its operations and premises. How a company addresses the safety concerns unique to it could impact the safety of its workers and customers. It could also impact the likelihood of it facing premises-related legal action, such as premises liability litigation from a hurt customer.
One of the things that can trigger unique safety issues for convenience stores is that many such stores are open late at night. Among the safety concerns that can come up late at night at such stores are concerns about robbers targeting the store. When a convenience store is subjected to a robbery, there could be a risk of its employees or customers being exposed to violence.
There are various steps convenience stores can take in response these nighttime safety concerns, including:
- Giving their night shift employees training on the special safety issues that could come up during their shift.
- Discouraging their workers from resisting when things like robberies occur. Resistance could up the chances of violence occurring.
- Minimizing the potential reward for robbers.
- Maximizing visibility when it comes to the store: This includes upping the ability of the store’s workers to see outside the store and the ability of patrons who are approaching the store to see what is happening in the store. Things that could help with this include: having proper lighting inside and outside the store, not having the store’s windows overly cluttered with things like signs and ads and having the store’s register close to a window.
When a Louisiana convenience store is facing litigation from a customer in relation to a robbery or other safety incident that occurred at the store at night, what the store does during the course of the litigation can be very impactful. Skilled personal injury defense attorneys can give the owners of such stores guidance on responding to such litigation.
Source: Rapid City Journal, “Following two principles can make convenience stores safer,” Samuel Blackstone, Jan. 19, 2017
