The multinational retail company, Woolworths are experimenting with body cameras on its workers’ across selected stores in Australia. This follows in-store assault cases doubling in 2020.
Abuse against staff soared last year during the pandemic with customers lashing out at employees and brawls unfolding in the aisles over items as simple as toilet paper, Daily Mail reported.
As reported by The Guardian, the company confirmed the cameras would only be turned on if a supervisor was concerned about a threat to the workers’ safety.
Woolworths’ director of stores, Rob Moffat indicated, no worker deserves to be abused at work, so they needed to look at new measures. With Australians being more familiar with body cameras worn by police, it is already used in retail stores across the United States and the United Kingdom.
However, no audio and films would be stored securely on Australian servers and customers will be alerted by the in-store signs.
Only a small team of Woolworth’s security experts and law enforcement agencies would have access to the footage.
In the meantime, cameras are being trialled at 11 stores across the “Land down under”, Abbotsford, Millers Junction, St Albans, Sunshine Market Place and Hoppers Crossing in Victoria is where some of the testing are taking place.
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