'The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority'
Coles is removing kitchen knives from its shelves after an employee was allegedly stabbed in Queensland, according to reports.
The employee, 63, was stacking shelves at the back of the Coles supermarket in Ipswich when she was reportedly stabbed in the back with a large knife by a 13-year-old boy.
The incident left the employee in a critical but stable condition, according to ABC News on Wednesday.
In response, a spokesperson from Coles said they have decided to withdraw its range of kitchen knives from its stores across Australia.
"Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives, and this withdrawal is being taken out of an abundance of caution as we conduct a review," the statement read, as quoted by ABC News.
"The safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority across all aspects of our business."
Retail groups in Australia commended Coles for taking swift action in response to the incident.
"The Australian Retailers Association and National Retail Association were deeply concerned by this shocking act of violence – something no worker should ever have to face," the groups said in a joint statement.
"Our thoughts are with the injured worker and her coworkers."
In Australia and New Zealand, heightened security risks in retail environments have driven 32% of workers in the sector to consider leaving their jobs. Retail groups have been calling on stronger protections for workers in the wake of rising aggression from customers.
According to the groups, around 700,000 retail crime incidents were recorded nationally in the past year.
"The Australian Retailers Association and National Retail Association continue to call for strengthened safety measures to protect retail workers amidst a concerning wave of violence in retail settings," they said.
The Queensland government last year introduced new knife laws that prohibit the sale of knives to minors and require retailers to securely store the items.
"The ARA and NRA also recently welcomed the QLD Government's reforms on knife crime and continue to call for further collaboration between industry and government to further improve safety for workers in retail settings," the retail groups said.
