Robbery Prevention and Customer Aggression

Robbery and customer aggression in stores for frontline workers and supervisors, following one invented grocery store and one invented convenience store: what violence data show and why under-reporting matters, incident rates per 100 FTE and per 10,000 transactions, OSHA's General Duty Clause, Washington's accident prevention program and late-night retail rule (WAC 296-832) and other state laws, the parts of a violence prevention program, robbery risk factors, crime prevention through environmental design with windows, counters, lighting, cameras and alarms, cash limits, safes, signage, staffing coverage and opening, closing and deposit routines, what to do during and right after a robbery, the escalation curve and retail triggers, de-escalation, limit setting and disengaging, refusals, ID checks, returns and shoplifting without confrontation and the limits of the shopkeeper's privilege, harassment, hate incidents, abusive calls, online abuse and trespass bans, psychological first aid, reporting, compensation and follow-up, and a violence risk assessment and response plan.

HSE-341 12 lessons · 4 h 54 min

Offered by HSM University · Safety Training

This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.

What you'll learn

Describe the scale and types of violence in retail, explain why under-reporting matters and calculate incident rates per 100 FTE and per 10,000 transactions.
Explain OSHA's General Duty Clause, Washington's accident prevention program and late-night retail rule (WAC 296-832), other state approaches, the parts of a violence prevention program and the roles of employers, supervisors, workers and the safety committee.
Identify robbery risk factors in reward, visibility, guardianship, escape and timing, and use a weighted checklist to compare locations and controls.
Apply CPTED principles to counters, windows, lighting, cameras, alarms and back doors, and check lighting and camera coverage against targets.
Use cash limits, safes, signage, staffing coverage checks, opening and closing routines and deposit practices to deter robbery.
Respond safely during and immediately after a robbery: cooperate, avoid sudden moves, time alarms safely, protect the scene and record separate witness accounts.
Recognize the stages and triggers of customer aggression and the early warning signs and red flags that call for distance and help.
Use de-escalation skills, safe positioning, limit setting, backup and disengagement to manage aggressive customers.
Handle age-restricted refusals, returns and suspected shoplifting without confrontation, and explain the limits of the shopkeeper's privilege.
Respond to harassment, hate incidents, abusive calls and online abuse, and explain how bans and trespass notices are used.
Provide psychological first aid, recognize normal and concerning reactions, report, investigate and follow up after incidents, and support return to work.
Carry out a store violence risk assessment with worker input, choose controls using the hierarchy, write a short response plan mapped to the law and measure its results.

Course content

12 lessons · 4 h 54 min total · final exam

1 Violence and robbery in retail: what the data show 27 min · quiz
2 Law, duties and violence prevention programs 24 min · quiz
3 Robbery risk factors 25 min · quiz
4 Designing a safer store 26 min · quiz
5 Cash handling, staffing and procedures that deter 24 min · quiz
6 During a robbery 24 min · quiz
7 Aggressive customers: understanding escalation 24 min · quiz
8 De-escalation skills 25 min · quiz
9 Refusals, ID checks, returns and shoplifting without confrontation 23 min · quiz
10 Harassment, hate incidents and abuse by phone or online 24 min · quiz
11 After an incident: care, reporting and recovery 23 min · quiz
12 Capstone: a violence risk assessment and response plan for an invented store 25 min · quiz
E Final exam 20 questions

Requirements

HSE-108 Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention

Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.