Media Advisory - LWC Promotes Crowd Management Safety for Black Friday Shopping Events
OSHA Consultation Unit to visit Bluebonnet Best Buy on Monday

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Workforce Commission’s OSHA Consultation Unit will meet with representatives of Best Buy on Bluebonnet Boulevard to promote crowd management safety in advance of Black Friday.

The LWC will provide OSHA Crowd Management Safety Guidelines designed to help employers avoid injuries during events that are likely to draw large crowds. Best Buy representatives will discuss their crowd management procedures to ensure safety for workers and shoppers. LWC representatives also will introduce “Sam,” the Safety Elf, as a reminder that “Safety Always Matters,” especially during holiday shopping.

When: 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, 2014

Where: Best Buy

5913 Bluebonnet Blvd., LA 70836

Who: Wes Hataway, director of LWC Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration

Corey Gaines, OSHA consultation manager

Rebecca Chapman, OSHA safety consultant

Shane Kitzman, Best Buy Public Relations

Background:

Crowd-related injuries can occur during special sales and promotional events. In 2008, a retail worker was killed at the opening of a “Black Friday” sale. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages employers to adopt effective safety and health management systems to identify and eliminate work related hazards, including those caused by large crowds at retail events.

For more information:

Call LWC Media Relations at 225-342-3035.

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