OSHA warns retailers to prepare for Black Friday

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is reminding retailers to keep their workers safe by preparing for the swarms of shoppers racing to get the best deals on Black Friday.

The agency guidelines advise retailers to plan for large shopping event by hiring additional staff and and training employees in crowd management, hiring trained security, setting up barricades or rope lines to control the crowd before customers arrive at the store, placing sale items in different parts of the store to prevent overcrowding in one place, and using Internet lottery systems for “hot” items, among other things.

OSHA said one retail worker was trampled to death by customers who were rushing through a store in 2008. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing their workers with safe and healthy workplaces.