The UK’s most popular supermarket is rolling out body cameras to thousands of its delivery drivers who feel at increased risk of attack due to the expansion of age verification checks.
Tesco has said 5,000 of its workers who deliver shopping to customers’ homes will be provided with body-worn cameras by the end of the year.
The move is in response to “escalating levels of threats and violence” towards drivers in recent years, the supermarket said.
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A trial run by the retailer showed the cameras act as a deterrent and reduce serious incidents against drivers by 50%, it said.
The cameras are only turned on if a driver feels unsafe, and there are plans for a wider rollout next year, Tesco said.
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The company delivers 1.45 million online grocery orders a week.
An increased threat
Delivery workers are “particularly” vulnerable retail staff, said the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), who welcomed the move.
The expansion of age verification to knives has been a new issue for the employees to deal with.
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Under the age check laws, delivery drivers are legally required to verify the age of the people receiving a delivery of restricted goods like alcohol, tobacco and, recently, knives.
“Our members tell us this can be very problematic and they feel vulnerable to attack,” USDAW said.
A survey of 300 workers from the union indicated 77% had been a victim of abuse, 13% were assaulted, and 26% had refused a delivery due to fear for their own personal safety in the past year.
More to do
While a new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker is being introduced via the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, delivery drivers are not included.
Both USDAW and Tesco have called for this category of staff to be included in the offence, “particularly as they work alone without the protection that comes with being in a store”, the retailer added.
Such an addition would bring England and Wales in line with Scotland, where delivery drivers are within scope.
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Tesco said the law has brought down reported cases, compared to the rest of the UK.
