“The industry has social responsibilities, and individual employers have a 
direct responsibility to protect their employees and the public from risk of harm,” says president of WCSA.
The Western Convenience Stores Association (WCSA) commended the Government of Saskatchewan for recognizing best practices proven to protect employees and the public during late night retail hours.
“We’re pleased that the government has decided to enshrine the industry’s own safety standards in the regulations of Bill 23, which have been tested over time and are proven to work,” said Andrew Klukas, president of the WCSA. “Holding employers to the highest industry standards is a mark of good regulation that will raise the bar on safety and level the playing field.”
WCSA has developed www.retailsafety.ca—a comprehensive resource to support safety management among small retailers, and which is freely available to anyone.
“The industry has social responsibilities, and individual employers have a direct responsibility to protect their employees and the public from risk of harm. We take these responsibilities very seriously,” said Klukas. “We look forward to working with the Saskatchewan government, the Workers Compensation Board, and law enforcement to make Saskatchewan’s convenience store industry a North American leader.”
WCSA is developing a recognition program for Saskatchewan convenience store owners who implement the highest industry safety standards at their location. The program will apply 24/7, not just during late night hours, and will go beyond the requirements of the new regulations.
The WCSA is also preparing to launch an interactive late night retail safety-training program in early 2013. The program is made possible by a grant from WorkSafeBC and will be freely available to member stores. Further information about the launch of the program can be found at www.theWCSA.com.
The Western Convenience Stores Association represents over 6,000 family-owned and corporate-owned convenience stores that employ over 30,000 people in communities across western Canada.
