The private sector is ramping up safety measures amid record numbers of bear sightings this year, with convenience stores and delivery companies taking action to protect their employees and customers.
The FamilyMart convenience-store chain began screening warning messages on displays at around 10,000 stores nationwide on Monday. The 15-second clips urge staff to stop outdoor work such as cleaning if a bear is sighted nearby, and instruct customers to shelter in back rooms if necessary.
Some outlets in Hokkaido and the northern Tohoku region will also receive bear-repellent spray, and franchisees have been told to be careful with leaving trash outside and to gather local sighting information.
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The private sector is ramping up safety measures amid record numbers of bear sightings this year, with convenience stores and delivery companies taking action to protect their employees and customers.
The FamilyMart convenience-store chain began screening warning messages on displays at around 10,000 stores nationwide on Monday. The 15-second clips urge staff to stop outdoor work such as cleaning if a bear is sighted nearby, and instruct customers to shelter in back rooms if necessary.
Some outlets in Hokkaido and the northern Tohoku region will also receive bear-repellent spray, and franchisees have been told to be careful with leaving trash outside and to gather local sighting information.
Lawson is distributing bear spray to roughly 100 stores in Hokkaido, Tohoku and northern Kanto. In areas where bear sightings have been reported, stores will switch automatic doors to manual mode to prevent bears from being able to wander inside.
The company is also studying the installation of low-frequency sound devices that bears are believed to dislike.
Seven-Eleven Japan has reportedly asked franchisees who operate 7-Eleven stores to consider closing them temporarily if bears are spotted nearby.
Delivery companies are also tightening precautionary measures. Japan Post announced Wednesday that it may temporarily suspend mail and Yu-Pack parcel collection and delivery in areas where local governments or police have restricted access due to bear sightings.
Deliveries may also be halted when drivers spot a bear or consider an area unsafe, and two-wheel vehicles such as mopeds will generally not be used after 5 p.m. in affected regions.
Yamato Transport has created a response manual outlining what workers should do if they encounter a bear, and has begun handing out spray in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, according to media reports. Sagawa Express has reportedly been posting bear sighting information on its internal website and reminding employees that safety takes priority over delivery schedules.
Other sectors are also taking action to protect their employees. Kyodo News reported that Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance has decided to fully subsidize the purchase of bear-repellent spray for its employees as of Thursday. The company has branches in areas where sightings have been reported, including in mountainous parts of Tohoku.
Employees who prefer to work from home may do so in some circumstances. Those traveling to the office will be able to adjust the start and end times of their working day, and use company cars to commute. A representative for the insurer said the aim was to “provide effective defensive measures and make employees more aware of keeping themselves safe.”