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The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
encourages major retailers to provide crowd management measures to protect workers during major
sales events
WASHINGTON (November 9, 2011) - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Administration is encouraging major 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. The store was not using
the kind of crowd management measures recommended in OSHA's fact sheet, which is available
online.
"Crowd control is critical to preventing injuries and deaths," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David
Michaels. "These incidents can be prevented by adopting a crowd management plan, and this fact sheet
provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season."
The fact sheet provides employers with recommended elements for crowd management plans. Plans should
include having trained security personnel or police officers on-site, setting up barricades or rope lines
for pedestrians and crowd control well in advance of customers arriving at the store, making sure that
barricades are set up so that the customers' line does not start right at the entrance of the store,
having emergency procedures in place that address potential dangers, and having security personnel or
customer service representatives explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public.
OSHA also recommends not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum
occupancy level and not blocking or locking exit doors.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and
healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working
men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For
more information, visit the OSHA website.
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