During last year's "Black Friday" sales, a worker at a New York retailer died after being trampled by a crowd eager to enter the store when it opened.  In response to this tragedy, last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a Fact Sheet with recommendations for crowd control by retail employers holding similar sales events.

The Fact Sheet list a number of recommendations, including advance planning, pre-event barricade set-up, use of lotteries or wristbands as an alternative to a free-for-all, use of security personnel, and employee training on how to handle emergency situations.  While no specific OSHA regulations govern these practices, failure to adequately protect employees from risks during holiday sales could result in citations under the General Duty Clause.

The Fact Sheet can be found by clicking here.