• Having trained security personnel or police officers on site, 
• Setting up barricades or rope lines for pedestrians and crowd control well in advance of customers arriving at the store, 
• Making sure that barricades are set up so that the customers' line does not start right at the entrance of the store, 
• Preparing an emergency plan that addresses potential dangers, 
• Having security personnel or customer service representatives explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public, and 
• Not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level and not blocking or locking exit doors.

"Many retailers today are struggling with the current economic conditions," said MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski. "Providing a safe work environment just makes good business sense. These guidelines offer employers relatively simple, common sense approaches to crowd control to prevent worker and customer injuries during major holiday sales events."

The fact sheet covers four major areas to help employers protect their workers: Planning, Pre-Event Setup, During the Sales Event, and Emergency Situations. The fact sheet is available on the OSHA website at www.osha.gov. On their home page, on the left-hand "OSHA News" section, click on "OSHA provides crowd control guidelines for protecting workers."

The fact sheet is advisory in nature and informational in content. It is not a standard or regulation, and it neither creates new legal obligations nor alters existing obligations created by OSHA/MIOSHA standards. In addition, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health (MIOSH) Act's General Duty Clause requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

For more information about DELEG, please visit www.michigan.gov/deleg.

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