Fashion chain LolaLiza grows safely with an evolving risk prevention policy

Challenge

• To quickly lay the foundations for an evolving risk prevention policy in Belgium’s 87 LolaLiza stores.

Solution

• Store employees identify risks themselves using a specially developed checklist. The internal risk prevention advisor analyses the checklist results and supplements them with additional store visits.

Advantages

• This short annual check enables LolaLiza to adjust its risk prevention policy quickly on an ongoing basis. As a result, the company can carry on growing safely.

• Completing the checklist themselves means that employees give more thought to potential hazards.

The Belgian family business LolaLiza had seven stores at the time of its launch in 2001. Fifteen years later, the women’s and children’s fashion retailer has a network of 100 stores in four countries. Due to this rapid growth, the company urgently needed a comprehensive risk prevention policy. It sought the expertise of Mensura for this complex task.

Using existing expertise

‘The preliminary risk assessment in particular looked set to be a difficult exercise,’ says Leslie Renous, internal risk prevention advisor at LolaLiza. ‘The law required us to conduct it at all our 87 Belgian stores, each of which has a different layout and location, and therefore specific risks. Moreover, we needed the results quickly in order to mitigate the greatest risks.’

The solution came from Pascal Meyns, Mensura’s external risk prevention advisor. ‘He suggested having employees conduct their own assessment using a checklist. That’s obviously faster than sending a risk prevention advisor everywhere.’

Strict conditions applied in order to take account of the employees’ lack of expertise: for example, the checklist had to be as easy to use as possible. There had to be no specialised jargon, no need to perform special measurements and so on. In other words, a specially developed tool was needed.

Testing and adjusting

Leslie and Pascal based their approach on risk prevention and wellbeing law. They recorded all relevant risk tasks and incorporated all applicable legal requirements. ‘Thanks to Mensura’s extensive knowledge of the law, we quickly came up with an initial draft,’ says Leslie.

They tested this at various LolaLiza stores in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Based on the feedback, they simplified the structure, removed irrelevant questions and worded others more clearly. The result was a practical tool that will now be completed every year by all district managers or store managers, together with the employees.

Awareness-raising tool

‘With this frequent but brief check, we can quickly adjust our risk prevention policy on an ongoing basis,’ says Leslie, who analyses all the results. ‘That way, the company can continue to grow without losing sight of the wellbeing and safety of its employees.’

At the same time, it is recognised that a checklist – no matter how comprehensive – can’t uncover every risk and problem, which is why Leslie continually visits stores to identify additional risks. ‘The partnership with Mensura goes far beyond what is legally required,’ she says. ‘I can contact my external risk prevention advisor and colleague if I have any questions or need advice.’

Ultimately, the checklist is more than just a risk assessment tool. It’s an important instrument for lasting behavioural change. ‘Completing the checklist means that employees give more thought to all potential hazards. This is important, because a retailer like us traditionally has high employee turnover. Many young people start out here and then move on to careers elsewhere. The checklist is an ideal tool for raising awareness of the importance of working safely.’