Labor Department Issues Guidelines for Black Friday Safety

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging retail employers to take precautions to prevent worker injuries during Black Friday and other major sales events during the holiday season.

In 2008, a worker was trampled to death while a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store to take advantage of an after-Thanksgiving Day Black Friday sales event. OSHA recommends that retailers follow certain safeguards against this type of tragedy.

Crowd management plans should include:

• 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.
• Implementing crowd control measures well in advance of customers arriving at the store.
• Emergency procedures in place to address potential dangers. Explaining approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public. Not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level and not blocking or locking exit doors.