An open store remodel enables retailers to deliver exciting upgrades and improvements for customers without taking the large financial loss that comes with closing for construction. But if poorly implemented without a plan for keeping store staff and customers safe, an open store remodel could also leave a negative impact on your business.
Construction sites can be dusty, loud, disruptive and even dangerous to your customers and staff. To maintain a positive experience during your open store remodel and complete the project with minimal surprises, a detailed safety plan must be a top priority for the general contractor leading the project.
With an open line of communication and expert execution, your open store remodel can be safely completed on time and on budget. As a national general contractor specializing in open store remodels, our experienced Project Managers compiled their essential preparation steps.
Develop a Safety Plan
The mark of a successful retail construction project is experiencing zero surprises or incidents. Avoiding this starts by developing a safety plan.
A safety plan often consists of:
- Accident prevention
- Comprehensive scheduling
- Clear delegation of daily responsibilities
- Set up of safety barriers that are not moved without proper authorization
- Overview of the store’s safe entrances, exits, and walkways
The goal of an open store remodel is to allow for store operations to continue in a safe manner. An experienced project team will ensure all stakeholders are overprepared and fully comprehend the plan to prevent the serious injury of a worker, staff member or customer. It takes an expert to create an efficient schedule that considers all stakeholders, the shopping experience, and the construction plan simultaneously.
Overcommunicate
Remember that the store manager and staff work there every day — it’s like their second home and should be treated with the utmost respect. A manager knows more about the store than anyone else and they are a necessary resource to consult with in the pre-construction phase and throughout construction. The general contractor will benefit from a store manager’s valuable insight on plans that may be difficult, or even dangerous, to execute.
Communicating changes that affect store staff will ensure they can comfortably continue to perform their job duties and provide great customer service. Items to communicate to the staff may include:
- Location of the break room
- Designated employee parking spots
- Warning or hazard signs near their workspace
- Work zones for authorized personnel only
During an open store remodel, the construction workers, staff, and managers become a team, and each team member knows what to expect when they arrive at work. One of the best ways to ensure a safe construction site is to communicate, communicate, communicate.
Site Setup
To keep a work site as safe as possible for customers and staff, construction work must only happen behind the barricade. Any work done on the other side of a barricade or sheet creates a much higher risk for a staff or customer injury — even if it’s only dust.
Elements of every safe construction site include:
- Rigid barricades
- Covered trenches
- Surveillance cameras
- Durable plastic sheets
- Hazard signs that clearly mark construction zones
The last thing customers want to experience is dust and loud construction noises while shopping. Although these are unavoidable elements of a construction site, the dustiest and loudest work is best done during off-peak hours or outdoors whenever possible.
Monitor Personnel
Every subcontractor is an extension of your team, and thus a reflection of your store and the general contractor. All on site vendors are well-vetted not only for their skills, but also for their respectful demeanor as they work among customers.
A good general contractor will ensure all its subcontractors receive the most up-to-date resources and training on maintaining a safe workplace. The recommended qualifications for subcontractors include the OSHA 30-Hour training course and previous experience in an open store construction project.
Performing regular site checks also ensures every worker is following the safety plans and procedures. Properly vetting construction workers is a sign of a general contractor with high standards that leaves no room for dangerous mistakes or surprises.
Execute Safe Open Store Remodels on a National Scale
The process of planning a schedule, budget and safety protocols for an open store remodel requires an experienced general contractor to oversee the project. At N-STORE Services, safety is our top concern at every work site.
After completing your first project with N-STORE Services, our team can partner with you to scale our collaborative open store remodel construction plan for your regional or national locations. With over 39 years of combined experience in open store remodels, you can trust our experts to safely execute your multi-site retail construction program.
