Risk Definition Expands in Workplaces: From Industrial Areas to Every Work Area

[Hasan S. Cemkan]

## Innovation in Risk Definition at Workplaces: Expansion from Industrial Areas to All Work Environments

The traditional understanding of occupational safety is changing, with the recognition that environmental risks are now as important as human injuries. "Industrial" risk factors are extending beyond factory floors to retail and customer-facing areas.

### Removal of Traditional Occupational Safety Limitations

For many years, occupational safety was applied in physical areas such as industrial sites, warehouses, production facilities, and distribution centers. Risks such as falls, collisions, lifting injuries, and equipment malfunctions were clearly defined in these areas. Protective equipment, safety protocols, and incident response processes were used as solutions.

### Automation and the Redefinition of Risk

By the end of 2025, automation systems are expected to be used in nearly 50% of large warehouse facilities. This change leads to a diversification of work processes and sources of risk. The boundaries of risk between industrial floors and customer-oriented areas are becoming increasingly blurred.

### Two Fundamental Changes:

• Environmental risks becoming as critical as human injuries
• The definition of "industrial area" expanding to include new work environments considered within the scope of systematic safety management

### The Importance of Environmental Risks in Safety

Traditional occupational safety metrics focused solely on human injury. However, environmental factors (temperature deviations, energy waste, equipment malfunctions) are now considered not operational, but critical safety issues.

For example, temperature deviations in the pharmaceutical cold chain are not just energy waste, but can lead to millions of dollars in product losses, increased risk for employees during emergency response, and even loss of drug efficacy.

Tracking is also crucial in the food sector; according to 2023 USDA data, foodborne illnesses cause $74.7 billion in economic losses. These types of accidents mostly stem from temperature control and hygiene deficiencies.

Advanced safety management closely monitors environmental conditions as much as human safety and necessitates real-time intervention.

### Risks Expanding from Industrial Areas to All Work Environments

Safety issues are no longer confined to warehouses; they are prominent in supermarkets, retail stores, pharmacies, and most commercial workplaces.

For example, employees in a supermarket lift heavy boxes, operate machinery, work on ladders, and move in narrow aisles with heavy traffic. These risks are similar to those in distribution centers, but supermarkets often lack systematic safety infrastructure.

Statistics support this: In 2023, there were approximately 335,000 workplace accidents in the retail sector, and injuries in grocery stores increased by 6.5% to 78,200. This rate is higher than the manufacturing sector's rate of 2.6.

Customer accidents are also significant. In 2025, the average cost of customer slip and fall lawsuits rose to $45,000.

### New Safety Approaches and Challenges

While comprehensive safety programs are implemented in industrial facilities due to legal regulations and insurance requirements, this traditional understanding is breaking down in retail. Technology now enables continuous monitoring even in public areas.

Safety is no longer specific to certain areas but is becoming a universal discipline encompassing all work environments. This brings new challenges such as different implementation methods, customer privacy, tight budgets, and the integration of security in public spaces.

### Conclusion

Work environments require the joint management of human and environmental risks. Occupational safety should be a strategic priority not only in "industrial" areas but in all work environments. Organizations adopting this approach will gain advantages in talent retention, operational efficiency, and risk management. The boundaries of traditional industrial safety concepts are disappearing, and the differences between industrial and commercial safety management are closing.