Six ways to reduce parking lot injuries

Convenience store, gas station employees, food service and retail business employees routinely work near moving vehicles every day while assisting customers, restocking supplies, addressing spills, taking out trash, putting them at high risk for struck-by injuries.  

A May 2026 incident illustrates the severity of that risk: A worker was struck by a driver fleeing without paying for fuel and was airlifted to for advanced care.

“Patrons using a vehicle as a weapon is a major concern, but not all stuck-by incidents are intentional,” explains WSPS health and safety consultant Tova Larsen. “Lack of visibility is a huge problem in parking lots and fueling areas as well.” 

All vehicles have blind spots, with larger vehicles having particularly obstructed views. Poor lighting, weather conditions, snowbanks, gas pumps, signage and distractions amplify the problem. 

“But these incidents aren’t inevitable,” says Larsen. Employers can reduce the risk by limiting the time workers spend near vehicles, protecting them when they do and making them more visible. 

Protecting your staff from struck-by injuries 

Section 20 of the Industrial Regulations requires employers to use barriers, warning signs or other safeguards in areas where vehicle or pedestrian traffic may endanger the safety of a worker. 

Larsen recommends theses additional strategies to reduce worker risk. 

1. Reduce the need for workers to be near vehicles

Install intercoms on gas pumps and carwash entrances. “If a customer is having trouble, the worker can offer assistance without ever setting foot outside the building,” Larsen advises.

She also recommends to avoid directing traffic. “It takes training to safely direct moving vehicles. Getting customers in and out a couple of minutes faster isn’t worth the elevated struck-by risk.” 

Larsen recommends locating dumpsters away from vehicle traffic and to collect trash.

2. Use design elements

Add grade-separated or speed-hump pathways to carwashes and fueling islands. “These pathways give workers a safer route and alert drivers to pedestrians,” says Larsen.

Install bollards or cement barriers in front of the store to protect walkways and prevent vehicles from entering the store. Larsen adds, “it may sound extreme, but it happens more often in retail than folks realize, whether a driver is confused, distracted, impaired or acting intentionally.”

Post speed limit signs (no more than 10 km/hour). Research by the American Automobile Association found that 1 in 10 pedestrians struck-by vehicles are seriously injured or killed at impact speeds of just 16 km/h.

Consider making each side of a gas island one-way. Larsen says, “It’s the chaos of vehicles moving in both directions in one lane that elevates risk.”

3. Improve workers’ visibility

Provide and require the use of high-visibility clothing anytime workers are outside the building. “If choosing vests, ensure they are a tear away design," recommends Larsen. "Workers have had their vests caught on car mirrors and been dragged to death.”

• Add lights for the worker at night and in winter conditions.
• Eliminate blind spots (signs, foliage) wherever possible.

4. Minimize vehicle-related violence risks

Eliminate gas theft by making pumps pre-pay only, at all times of day.

Develop written policies for managing customer theft. Make it clear that workers will not be held financially liable for customer-theft losses (as per the Employment Standards Act) and that they must never intervene in a theft in progress. “Remind workers their lives always come first.”

5. Develop safe work procedures

Prohibit cell phone and headphone use by your employees in parking lots, car wash areas and fuelling zones. Workers need to be alert and fully aware when working near vehicles.

Prioritize winter housekeeping. Keep parking lots and fuelling areas clear and salted to prevent workers from slipping into a vehicle’s path. “Consider providing crampons or grippers for staff footwear during the winter season for extra traction.

Establish “no-go” rules: times when workers must stay out of parking lots and fuelling areas. (e.g. when plows or other heavy equipment are being used, when poor weather limits visibility and when working alone. 

6. Provide training

Discuss the risks of working around moving vehicles, including struck-by injuries, slips, trips and falls and crushed feet, as well as the danger of blind spots. Larsen recommends, “a good rule of thumb is if you can’t see the eyes of a driver, assume they can’t see you." 

Review all safety procedures and use of personal protection equipment (e.g. high visibility clothing). 

Ultimately, employers and supervisors must ensure workers understand the hazards, how to stay safe, the policies and procedures there to protect them and their role in following safe practices at all times.