New York State Mandates Panic Buttons in Retail Stores, Walmart Opposes Changes

Walmart, the nation’s largest retail chain with 4,700 stores in the United States, is adamantly opposed to the change. According to Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s vice president of corporate affairs, panic buttons can lead to frequent false alarms, which can disrupt the day-to-day operations of stores. According to Bartlett, it is estimated that eight out of ten alarms may be false, when someone feels that something is wrong, but nothing dangerous is actually happening.

Walmart’s response to the safety concerns was to appoint a chief safety officer to deal specifically with the physical safety of store workers. According to Bartlett, this solution is much more effective than the general introduction of panic buttons, which the company considers “not feasible”.

The law requires not only the placement of panic buttons, but also that retailers conduct violence prevention and safety training for their employees. The regulation applies to retailers with at least 10 employees and aims to prevent workplace violence and increase worker safety.