Retail delivery safety: separating staff and customer routes

A shop delivery can turn a normal customer route into a working area. Stock moves through doors, trolleys occupy space and visiting drivers need to know where to stop. Assess the delivery itself, including the point where it meets the public.

Map the route from vehicle to stockroom

Follow an actual delivery and identify where staff, customers and vehicles meet. Check visibility, doorways and places where stock is temporarily left. Include access needs and the effect of busy trading periods.

Arrange space and timing

Where possible, separate delivery activity from pedestrian movement. HSE’s workplace transport guidance provides a useful starting point for that assessment. Agree the unloading location and route with drivers, rather than leaving each visitor to find their own way.

Keep the stockroom usable

Review the receiving area before the delivery arrives. A blocked route can force colleagues to improvise. Assign responsibility for clearing space and escalating damaged handling equipment. Check that the agreed arrangement is followed when the usual manager is absent.

Practical checklist

Confirm the unloading point, pedestrian separation, receiving space, driver instructions and escalation contact. Revisit the assessment if volumes or the layout change.

Check retail delivery safety when the shop is busy

Observe the arrangement during the delivery slot rather than only before opening. Ask a receiving colleague where a delay usually occurs and who is called when the planned space is unavailable. Review the actual queue, doorway and receiving area together. Keep an action record that another duty manager can use if the usual person is off that day.

Plan what happens when the delivery changes

Suppose a supplier arrives earlier than expected with a larger load. The duty manager needs a clear contact and a route for checking whether the agreed arrangement still works. Avoid asking colleagues to invent a new unloading location under pressure. Raise the change with the person responsible for the assessment and communicate the resulting arrangement before the work proceeds.

Close the loop after a near miss

A report should lead to a question about the arrangement, not just another reminder. Record what was checked, what changed and who will review the next delivery. Ask the receiving team whether the change solved the practical problem. Keep that update with the action so the same concern is not lost in a different manager’s inbox.

Can a delivery be safe on paper but awkward in practice?

Yes. Observe the work at the times it happens and involve the colleagues who carry it out.

Related EPL support

For advice shaped around your workplace, see support for retail organisations.

External reference

Read HSE guidance for the activity alongside the practical steps above.