Tag Archives: Black Friday

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

BLACK FRIDAY: IS IT WORTH IT?

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays:  a special day set aside for families to be together, spend time sharing and making memories:  eating too much food, and maybe watching too much football.  It seems that this holiday almost gets ignored, except by those who enjoy this tradition with family and friends. 

As soon as the Halloween masks, costumes, and decorations are removed, here come all the Christmas products.  What happened to Thanksgiving?  Sorry, this article isn’t about how I feel about this holiday; rather, it is about an ongoing topic that comes the day after Thanksgiving: Black Friday!  Now, surprise:  spoiling the Black Friday plan is the fact that many of the popular retailers are planning to open on Thanksgiving Day for certain hours, carrying their sales on through Black Friday.  It would be nice if their workers could  have some time off to spend with their families on the holiday.

This is a shopper’s dream: having November 28th, (Thanksgiving Day), plus Black Friday to fill their holiday stockings and purchase gifts at special prices.  Retailers know that they always have to be ready to manage crowds for Black Friday; because this will probably remain the least safe shopping day for customers, here are some tips from OSHA for retailers that hopefully will keep their employees safe from stampeding crowds. 

Five years ago, a Wal-Mart employee died at the opening of a “Black Friday” sale.  OSHA reminds employers that they are responsible for keeping their workplace safe.  Much planning should be done ahead of time, in order for things to go smoothly.  Last week, letters were sent to all firefighters and fire marshals, in addition to retail trade groups and C.E.O.’s of large retail companies from OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor, Dr. David Michaels, who informed them that crowd control and proper planning are critical to prevention of injuries and death.

Death?  We are all aware that money is tight, and everyone wants to cut corners anywhere they can, but is it worth risking life and limb to save a few dollars?  You can read all the instructions that OSHA has in its Fact Sheet about Crowd Safety Management and Safety Guidelines for Retailers.  Here are a few, for instance: 

  • Hire extra workers
  • Ensure that workers are trained to manage the event
  • Designate a worker to contact local emergency responders if necessary
  • Be sure that the building meets public safety requirements
  • Have an emergency plan prepared
  • Set up barricades or rope lines outside the store
  • Barricade lines should have breaks and turns to reduce the risk of customers pushing from the rear and possibly crushing others, including employees
  • Have communications for outside workers
  • Make sure that all employees and crowd control personnel are aware that the doors are about to open (or that the stampede is about to take place!)
  • In emergency situations, have first-aid kits and Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) available and have personnel trained in using AED’s and CPR onsite at all times. 

Good luck –  retailers are counting on you to shop during the beginning of the Christmas season. We are certainly not trying to be “Scrooge” about Black Friday, just wanting to warn you to be ready to battle serious shoppers! 

 In the meantime, have a Happy Thanksgiving! pb

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

MERCHANTS, GET READY FOR BLACK FRIDAY! PART II

Today, we are continuing to get our battle-stations, excuse me, store management and employees ready for the pre-Black Friday and big Black Friday sales.  Please pay heed to these OSHA guidelines:

Pre-Event Setup: 

  • Barricades or rope lines should be set up well in advance of customers arriving at the store.
  • Ensure that barricades are set up so that the line does not start right at the entrance to the store.  This allows for orderly crowd management entry, and makes it possible to divide crowds into small groups for the purpose of controlling the entrance.
  • Barricade lines should have an adequate number of breaks and turns at intervals to reduce the risk of customers pushing from the rear and maybe crushing others.
  • Have designated workers to explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public, and direct them to lines or entrances.
  • Outside personnel should have radios, cell phones or other ways to communicate with personnel inside the store, as well as emergency responders.
  • Numbered wristbands or tickets might help earlier arriving customers with first access to sale items.
  • Consider using Internet lottery for “hot” items.
  • Provide public amenities including toilets, washbasins, water and shelter, if appropriate.
  • Distribute pamphlets with store information and updated sales items within the store to customers waiting outside.
  • Remind waiting crowds of the entrance process your business has chosen. 

During the Sales Event: 

  • Be sure all employees and crowd control personnel are aware that the doors are about to open.
  • Have uniformed guards, police, or other personnel at the entrances.
  • Use a P.A. system or bullhorns to manage the entering crowd and communicate information or problems.
  • Position security or crowd managers to the sides of entering (or exiting) public, not in the center of their path.
  • These entry management measures should be used at all entrances.
  • Do not allow additional customers to enter the store once it has reached maximum occupancy, until the level drops.
  • Be sure there is a safe entrance for those with disabilities. 

Emergency Situations: 

  • Do not restrict egress, and do not block or lock exit doors.
  • Know in advance who to call for emergency medical response.
  • Instruct employees, in the event of an emergency to follow instructions from authorized first responders, regardless of company rules. 

We hope retailers will be totally prepared for the onslaught of shoppers who hope to grab some bargains.  Any employees should not be at risk for injury any time they are working.  There are many dangerous occupations in this world, and I am beginning to wonder if this wouldn’t rank right up there with some of the toughest during this holiday season!  Shop friendly, and treat the sales people as kindly as you expect them to treat you.

Source: OSHA

General Safety Issues

MERCHANTS! GET READY FOR BLACK FRIDAY – PART I

In the United States, Pre-Black Friday sales have already started, and retailers look forward to the day after Thanksgiving for one of their biggest days of sales through the entire year.  But for those employees who work for one of these big companies, OSHA is encouraging major retail employers to take precautions to prevent worker injuries.  It’s hard to believe that people can get worked up into such a frenzy to save money, but it happens.  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. 

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for keeping their workers safe and healthy in their workplace.  OSHA encourages employers to adopt effective safety and health management systems to identify and eliminate work-related hazards, including those caused by large crowds at these types of sales proceedings. 

Crowd control is critical to preventing injuries and deaths.  There must be a crowd management plan.  The following fact sheet from OSHA gives retailers  guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday season.  Businesses should have trained security personnel or police officers on-site, set up barricades or rope lines for pedestrians well ahead of customers arriving at the store.  The customers’ line should not begin at the very front of the store entrance, emergency procedures should be ready to address potential dangers, and having security personnel or customer service representatives explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public is very important.

(Sounds like we’re getting ready for war!)  Here are some of the guidelines from OSHA, which include planning, pre-event set-up and during the sales event.  Major department stores should have already gone over these or other procedures, but if not, this is a great time to get started.  We begin with Part I:

Planning 

  • Have trained security or crowd management personnel or police officers on site where large crowds are expected.
  • Have a designated location for each worker.  Determine the number of workers needed in various locations to ensure the safety of the event – both near the entrance and throughout the store.
  • Be sure that workers are properly trained to manage the event.
  • Fire and police agencies should be contacted to ensure that the site meets all public safety requirements, and that all permits and licenses are obtained.  Also, that local emergency services in addition to the previously named ones are aware of this event.
  • Have a designated worker to contact local emergency responders if necessary.
  • Legible and visible signs should be posted that describe entrances, opening times, and other important information such as the location of the major sale items.
  • Prepare an emergency plan that addresses potential dangers facing workers, including overcrowding, crowd crushing, being struck by the crowd, violent acts, and fire.  Share emergency plan with all local public safety agencies.
  • Workers should be trained in crowd management procedures and the emergency plan.  Provide them with an opportunity to practice the special event plan.  Include local public safety agencies, if appropriate.

We’ll continue with Part II tomorrow: Pre-Event Setup, During Sales Event, and What to do in Emergency Situations.  If more businesses would use these methods, there will be fewer injuries to their employees.

Source: OSHA