Since no one wants a repeat of the fatal 2008 Black Friday incident, in which a shrieking mob of shoppers trampled a Wal-Mart Inc. temp worker, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is suggesting businesses take certain precautions to prevent accidents this holiday season.
OSHA this week released a series of crowd management measures for businesses to use during major sales events like Black Friday. “The busy shopping season should not put retail workers at risk of being injured or killed,” said Dr. David Michaels, the assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, in a statement. “OSHA urges retailers to take the time to adopt a crowd management plan and follow a few simple guidelines to prevent unnecessary harm to retail employees.”
According to the guidelines, businesses running Black Friday events should include the following in their plans:
- On-site trained security personnel or police officers.
- Barricades or rope lines for pedestrians that do not start right in front of the store’s entrance.
- The implementation of crowd control measures well in advance of customers arriving at the store.
- Emergency procedures in place to address potential dangers.
- Methods for explaining approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public.
Stores should also refrain from blocking or locking exit doors, and should not allow more customers into a store than the maximum occupancy level, according to the release.
