OSHA wants retailers to implement crowdcontrol strategies to guard against worker injuries during Black Friday sales

OSHA Wants Retailers to Make Black Friday Safer for Workers

Nov. 16, 2012
OSHA 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 at a Wal-Mart store when a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors to take advantage of an after-Thanksgiving Day Black Friday sales event. OSHA cited Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for inadequate crowd management following the Nov. 28, 2008, death of an employee at its Valley Stream, N.Y., store. The worker died of asphyxiation after he was knocked to the ground and trampled by a crowd of about 2,000 shoppers who surged into the store.

OSHA's inspection found that the store's employees were exposed to being crushed by the crowd due to the store's failure to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles. This failure includes providing employees with the necessary training and tools to safely manage the large crowd of shoppers.



OSHA recommends that retailers follow certain safeguards to guard against this type of tragedy occurring again.

“Crowd control and proper planning are critical to preventing injuries and deaths,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “OSHA urges retailers to adopt a crowd management plan during the holiday shopping season that includes a few simple guidelines.”

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.
  • Not blocking or locking exit doors.

OSHA has created a fact sheet outlining these and other safety measures, Crowd Management Safety Guidelines for Retailers, and distributed a letter to major retailers about preventing crowd-related injuries.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

Sponsored Recommendations

July 16, 2025
Temporary workers play a vital role in a productive workforce. But does the responsibility for keeping them safe belong to the employer, the staffing agency, or both? This helpful...
June 23, 2025
Learn about lone working laws in the US, key hazards and risks, and get actionable advice on how to keep your lone workers safe.
June 23, 2025
Chemical substitution can quickly get messy, with unclear steps and the risk of swapping one hazard for another. This checklist helps you avoid costly mistakes, prioritize which...
June 23, 2025
A mature approach to health and safety means making safety a core part of your culture, where everyone plays a role and performance is measured by more than just numbers. In this...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!