In advance of the holiday season, the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is encouraging retail employers to take precautions to prevent workplace injuries during major sales events, including Black Friday.
This year marks the fifth year anniversary of the death of a worker killed upon opening a large store for a Black Friday sales event. In 2008, the worker was trampled to death when shoppers rushed through the store entrance to take advantage of the holiday sales. Retailers can avoid similar tragedies through crowd management and safety precautions.
"The busy shopping season should not put retail workers at risk of being injured or killed," said David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "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."
- 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.
- Not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level.
- Not blocking or locking exit doors.