Safety, Hygiene, Legal and Ethical Practices in Retail
Safety and hygiene
The exam tests everyday compliance: clear fire exits and extinguishers, safe electrical wiring, no blocked aisles, secure stacking, spill control and staff training. Food retail needs FSSAI registration or licence as applicable, clean surfaces, potable water, pest control, personal hygiene, correct temperature control and separation of raw and cooked food. Expired or damaged stock must be quarantined, not sold.
Legal and ethical rules
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019: covers unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements, defective goods and misleading claims; consumers can approach consumer commissions.
- Legal Metrology: packaged goods must show MRP, quantity, manufacturer/packer details and consumer-care information; selling above MRP is generally not permitted for such packages.
- GST: correct tax invoice and rate; do not issue false bills.
- Shops and establishments and labour rules: working hours, registers and employee welfare as applicable in Assam.
- Product-specific rules: BIS marks for certain goods, drug licences for medicines, e-waste and plastic rules.
Worked example
A worker finds a packet of biscuits past its expiry date on a shelf. Correct action: remove the whole batch from sale, record the quantity and batch, check other packets, quarantine or return them under the supplier agreement, and inform the supervisor. Selling it, even at a discount, is unsafe and may violate food-safety and consumer-protection requirements. The reasoning: expiry is a safety issue, not a pricing issue.
Traps
Do not believe “MRP is only a suggestion” for covered packaged goods. Do not assume “no bill” removes consumer rights. Do not hide an incident to avoid paperwork. Do not make health or quality claims without evidence.