LEISURE & RETAIL FACILITIES
SHOPPING CENTRES: WHERE TO REDUCE RISK
Ashley Kirk, Business Development Director AM Services Group looks at just some of the key things that can go wrong in a shopping centre.
Imagine an online interactive health and safety risk training tool designed for a shopping centre; negotiating your way around the customer risk touch points would very much feel like Mario jumping oil slicks, holes and ice blocks. As centre managers are acutely aware, the shopping centre environment is a hot bed for potential accidents that come with the high risk of compensation claims, large fines and reputational damage, should they be found to be negligent of their Duty of Care.
The most common injuries that afflict visitors to shopping centres are broken bones, cuts, whiplash and concussion caused by slipping, tripping and falling on wet floors and spillages; accidents in doorways; contact with sharp edges or broken objects; and bumps from large machinery. The internet is rife with companies offering to protect the purchasing public, supporting them in negligence claims ranging from slipping on leaflets on the shopping centre floor to twisting an ankle in a car park pothole.
Even more costly than the fine is the risk of people voting with their feet and finding somewhere else to shop if they feel they’re not valued and cared for. In an increasingly competitive sector, shopping centre managers need to dedicate as much of their time as possible to ensuring that their tenants are happy and to attracting as many customers and sales as possible.
It is therefore crucial that outsourced facilities services providers have the relevant knowledge and experience to deliver an excellent service by listening, understanding and pro-actively supporting centre managers, especially in areas of potential difficulty.
In one shopping centre in the North East, where AM Services Group provides cleaning and security services, careful attention is given to the food preparation areas. Generous portions spilling out of boxes onto the floor around the popcorn maker, and marinara sauce oozing
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out of Italian sandwiches, may delight customers but could also cause an ice- rink effect. The cleaning team safely cordons off the area and cleans the floor to minimise risk and create an attractive environment, they are also responsible for filing reports and taking photographic evidence. This is recorded through handheld devices that are scanned over QR codes, worn on the body or placed strategically around the building, as evidence to support the centre in case of an accident claim.
THE REFRESH WAY
Multi-skilled facilities teams also ensure that the right people are in the right place at the right time to deliver an efficient, added value and reduced risk service. These staff are able to step up for peak times and to carry out occasional duties such as fire alarm testing, evacuation procedures, first aid, legionella testing, and gritting and snow clearance. In Wythenshawe, the AM Services Group’s security team patrols the site early every morning to identify any security breaches and to alert the centre to any maintenance issues that could cause hazards and accidents.
The role of the security officer in a shopping centre has certainly grown. In the current climate, with the need for heightened security in public places, AM Services Group security teams work closely with the centre management to develop policies, standards and training to protect people from terrorism concerns across the company’s shopping centre portfolio. In Carlisle, for example, the team communicates counter terrorism intelligence with local police and runs site training sessions with the local counter terrorism officer.
This is why, when working with an FM partner, it is vital to foster a synergy and shared objectives to keep the customer safe and the shopping centre as protected from risk as possible.
www.amservicesgroup.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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