In 2008, a 34-year-old retail worker was trampled to death when Black Friday shoppers in Long Island literally busted through the doors to claim their holiday bargains. Since then, OSHA has issued Crowd Management Safety Guidelines for Retailers.

Copyright: leszekglasner / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: leszekglasner / 123RF Stock Photo

Takeaways:

  1. It’s wrong – perhaps illegal – to expect that shoppers will be able to control themselves enough to avoid destroying whatever stands between them and the best bargains.
  2. When counting your blessings this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to include the increased availability of online shopping, where the risk of getting trampled by Long Island shoppers at 5 a.m. is minimal.

For more concrete (i.e. less sarcastic) guidance, you can access the OSHA guidelines here. Happy Thanksgiving!