With Black Friday looming, businesses are preparing for unruly crowds and the potential for serious accidents. “OSHA urges retailers to take the time to adopt a crowd management plan,” states a press release and safety advisory issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (for the full release, readers may visit the U.S. Department of Labor press release online.)
This year, plan for big crowds by brushing up on a few fundamental crowd control best practices. Consider that effective crowd management not only improves safety, but it also enhances profitability and sales by more effectively serving customers in-store. Review the following crowd control tips, and relay this article along with appropriate OSHA resources to each member of your team prior to Black Friday.
Design a Queue
First, it’s important to design a crowd control queue that will accomplish your primary goals. This may include funneling visitors toward specific product displays, marking areas that are not to be entered, or simply creating lines for cashiers and customer service desks.
Implement a Plan
Next, form a specific plan to ensure proper crowd flow and management. You may, for instance, consider designating an employee to stand at the front of the store with a counter to limit the number of visitors who enter each hour. Or, you may task 1 employee with making special announcements with a PA system or bullhorn. Whatever the plan, take time to make sure it has specific goals and implements realistic measures to attain them.
Use Visible Signage
Meandering crowds can often make lines, display areas, and corridors a more dangerous place. Make sure important sales items, safety zones, check out lanes, etc. are properly identified with highly visible signage.
Use Matting as Needed
Finally, remember that many in-store accidents are caused by slips, trips, and falls. Use a combination of outdoor rubber mats, indoor carpet mats, and long carpet runners to make sure liquids and debris are properly controlled throughout the duration of the day.
Contact Eagle Mat for Matting and Crowd Control Needs
Now is the time to invest in new crowd control systems, replace worn out floor mats, and make updates to other dated facility practices. Readers are invited to shop Eagle Mat and Floor Products online to earn Free Shipping and a 100% Price Match Guarantee on leading safety products, just in time for the winter holiday season!
