Last year, a worker was trampled to death when 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 control measures recommended in OSHA’s fact sheet.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” said acting Assistant Secretary for OSHA Jordan Barab. “Many of these incidents could be prevented, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season.”
The 3-page fact sheet provides employers with recommended elements for crowd control plans, with tips for stages including planning, pre-event setup, during the sales event and emergency situations. According to the fact sheet, employers should:
- Have 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;
- Make sure that barricades are set up so that the customers’ line does not start right at the entrance of the store;
- Prepare an emergency plan that addresses potential dangers; and
- Have 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.
For more information, download the fact sheet at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/Crowd_Control.pdf.