Bodycams make customers ‘less aggressive’ claim staff

Certas Energy, an independent fuel and lubricants distributor with a national network of forecourts in the UK, has introduced body cameras at 40 of its company-owned, manned Gulf forecourts, after a staff survey¹ highlighted concerns around antisocial behaviour on site.

More than half (55%) of respondents strongly agreed that a daily portion of their time is spent dealing with abusive behaviour, with the same (55%) amount saying they encounter one or more instances of physical or verbal threats per week.

Since the introduction of body cameras, employees unanimously agreed that they felt more reassured wearing the devices, agreeing that there is a definite need for body worn cameras for staff. 

Mark Harrington, Certas Energy area manager for the North East said, “We want our staff to feel safe and be treated with respect. Abuse should not be part of their working day. We’ve found that simply the presence of the cameras – clipped to staff’s polo shirts or jackets – has been a huge deterrent against antisocial behaviour and has gone a long way toward making staff feel safer.

“The cameras have helped my teams feel they aren’t powerless against antisocial behaviour and that there are steps they can safely take to help tackle it.”

Certas Energy invested almost £48k in almost 100 cameras and associated software to safeguard its staff following a successful three-month trial. 

The body cameras record in 15-minute intervals and only when switched on by staff when an incident is occurring or about to occur.  

Since the introduction of the body cameras across Certas’s company-owned estate there has been an immediate drop in safety incidents and a significant boost in staff comfort levels when on shift.  

Almost three quarters (73%) of staff also agreed that the cameras provided them with reassurance of the ability to provide evidence of incidents and allegations.

Certas’s body cameras are also helping staff to tackle shoplifting head on – a problem which costs retailers £953 million annually according to the British Retail Consortium². 

An anonymous respondent who took part in the trial said: “During the period with the body cams, the way people talk and interact with me and my colleagues has improved and customers are more polite. I believe that it also helps to reduce violence against us and makes thieves think twice.”

Gareth Payne, Head of HSE and Engineering at Certas Energy said: “Introducing body cameras is a huge milestone in our ongoing health and safety journey at Certas. It’s something we invest heavily in for the benefit of our people and customers. 

“On a more personal note, to see the difference in our staff, the improvement in their comfort level and confidence is priceless.”

The retail industry has seen a sharp uptick in violence and aggression from members of the public against staff – with research finding 80% of shop workers³ having faced abusive incidents at work. 

In March 2024, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS)⁴ released its annual Crime Survey, revealing a disturbing trend in violence targeting shop workers, shoplifting and organised crime. It highlighted that 87% of convenience store staff faced verbal abuse in the past year. The report also documented approximately 76,000 violent incidents in shops, nearly double the previous year's figure. 

The investment is the latest project in the company’s ‘zero harm in the workplace’ ambition, building on Certas’s in-store training manual which equips staff with techniques for dealing with aggression, and Pro-Activ8 – an eight-step personal safety plan, which were both rolled out in 2024. 

References
1 Employee survey carried out by Certas Energy in 2025
2  www.thegrocer.co.uk/analysis-and-features/abuse-aggression-and-assault-the-rising-toll-of-crime-on-retail-staff/690580.article
3  www.retailtrust.org.uk/news/retail-trust-charity-to-run-free-training-to-protect-shop-workers-as-one-in-three-face-weekly-abuse-and-nearly-half-fear-for-their-safety/1798.article
4 https://peoplesafe.co.uk/news/stores-face-retail-crime-crisis-as-violence-and-shoplifting-soar/