Officeworks trials body-worn cameras
Staff safety high on ‘People and Planet’ agenda.
Officeworks has joined other leading retailers by issuing store staff with body-worn cameras and emergency alert Duress watches.
The retailer is trialling wearable technology as a deterrent and mitigation of threatening situations and as part of psychological risk assessments.
The bodycam initiative was outlined in the company’s extensive People & Planet Positive 2025 Plan, which also noted that 2023 was the “safest year to date” for the company’s 9000 plus employees.
“The trial of these devices is assessing whether the risk of harm to our team is reduced by this technology,” Officeworks head of safety, health and wellbeing Travis Callander told iTnews.
“Customer-threatening situations have been identified as a psychosocial risk in our business,” he added.
“We are always looking at new ways we can support our team to stay safe and well and address and reduce the risks associated with increased retail violence and theft.
“This trial has been well received by our team and we are seeing the technology proving as a deterrent in threatening situations,” Callander said.
People & Planet Positive 2025 Plan
As part of Officeworks’ People & Planet Positive 2025 Plan, the retailer is sharing its vision for the future, announcing how it’s tracking towards making a positive difference for people and the planet against its 2025 targets. Highlights include:
- 74 per cent of Officeworks team members reported feeling genuinely supported if they choose to make use of flexible work arrangements
- Over 3600 team members were seconded to another role, promoted or transferred into another opportunity at Officeworks
- Officeworks raised over $5.98 million in community contributions, $1 million of which went towards local community organisations
- Planted 1.45 million trees across more than 1,900 hectares through our Restoring Australia initiative since its inception in 2017, and nearly 210,000 trees across more than 190 hectares of land in FY2023
- Progression towards the goal of using 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, including launching Officeworks’ lowest emissions store in Warana, Queensland which features a 100-kWh lithium battery and 100 kW of solar PV as well as the installation of on-site solar PV systems in 26 sites across Australia
Date Published:
17 October 2023