Black Friday shopping is notorious for boisterous crowds, so the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued letters to major retailers this week, warning them to take crowd management measures on the heavily-advertised shopping blitz.
Letters were sent to Macy’s, Toys ‘R’ Us, Sears, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and other chains. Two years ago, a security guard was crushed to death by shoppers on the day after Thanksgiving.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” Assistant Secretary for OSHA Dr. David Michaels said in a statement.
OSHA sent a fact sheet in their letter which detailed recommended practices for crowd-control, including suggestions to have trained security guards or police on site, setting up barricades, and not allowing additional customers to go in the store after it is full.
“Many of 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,” Michaels added.
Employers, under federal law, have to provide workers with a workplace that has no recognized hazards that may cause death or injury.
Letters were sent to Macy’s, Toys ‘R’ Us, Sears, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and other chains. Two years ago, a security guard was crushed to death by shoppers on the day after Thanksgiving.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” Assistant Secretary for OSHA Dr. David Michaels said in a statement.
OSHA sent a fact sheet in their letter which detailed recommended practices for crowd-control, including suggestions to have trained security guards or police on site, setting up barricades, and not allowing additional customers to go in the store after it is full.
“Many of 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,” Michaels added.
Employers, under federal law, have to provide workers with a workplace that has no recognized hazards that may cause death or injury.
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