Staying Safe: Select Starbucks Locations Add Needle-Disposal Boxes to Bathrooms

Starbucks is taking precautions in specific markets to ensure the safety of both its staff and customers. The brand is now installing safe needle disposal boxes in restrooms at particular locations in response to district and store manager requests.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Business Insider published a report stating, “the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated Starbucks safety policies after two baristas in Eugene, Oregon were stuck with used hypodermic needles.” By the end of summer 2019, the company plans to have all necessary locations accommodated with needle-disposal boxes.

A Starbucks representative provided Nation’s Restaurant News with a comment, stating, “These societal issues affect us all and can sometimes place our partners in scary situations, which is why we have protocols and resources in place to ensure our partners are out of harm’s way. If our partners are ever in a position where they don’t feel comfortable completing a task, they are empowered to remove themselves from the situation and alert their manager.”

Extending well beyond the brand’s influence, this matter raises a necessary conversation for franchise and store owners. As a means to keep staff and customers safe, it’s critical that owners keep up to date on their safety policies and inform their franchisor of any necessary safety changes that should be made to a location. If needed, these concerns need to be addressed and accounted for in budgeting to ensure staff and customer safety.

Read the full Nation’s Restaurant News article here.