Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping rush, was darker than ever two years ago, when a security guard in a New York Wal-Mart was crushed to death by a mass of shoppers surging forward in search of sales.
Eager to avoid another such tragedy in 2010, government officials have sent letters encouraging the CEOs of big-box retail chains to prepare for the onslaught of consumers, the Boston Herald reports. The list of companies that received the letter from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration includes Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” said David Michaels, assistant Secretary of Labor and head of OSHA. “Many of these incidents can be prevented by adopting a crowd-management plan.”
Among the tactics suggested by OSHA for the hordes of shoppers the day after Thanksgiving: ropes or barricades facilitating the ordered movement of people, trained security or police on site, and having employees explain entrance procedures to shoppers as they arrive.
Last year, on the first anniversary of the security guard’s death, Wal-Mart did implement some crowd control measures, such as waiting one hour after the store was opened to make discounted goods available, and making customers line up again once inside to be eligible for the sale prices.
Black Friday is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, earning its name because it’s the day that many retailers finally turn a profit for the year.
