How to Ensure Employee Safety During Black Friday

The retail sector can get pretty wild during the holiday season—especially on Black Friday. You’ve heard the stories: storefront windows shattered, shoppers injured, and lots and lots of parking lot crime.

As a business, it’s your responsibility to ensure employee safety against a wide range of threats, from accidents to unruly customers. The tips in this article will help you set up a safer experience for your staff and aid in your store’s holiday crime prevention.

Parking lot safety

A shocking number of holiday crimes take place in parking lots. Shootings, stabbings, theft, larceny, the list goes on and on. By amplifying the security measures in your parking lot, you can help your customers and employees feel safer as they venture from your building to their vehicles. Here are a few points to start with.

• Keep your parking lot very well lit with floodlights to deter criminal activity and put minds at ease
• Install high-resolution security cameras and make their presence known with visible placement and signs posted throughout the parking lot
• Enforce a “buddy system” to ensure employees aren’t walking to their car alone after closing.

Visible security cameras

One of the greatest ways to deter criminal behavior is to make your high-tech surveillance system known. Make sure your establishment is outfitted with the best security cameras for Black Friday crime prevention, and be sure to install them in highly-visible areas.

It is also wise to post signs about your cameras all throughout your store and parking lot in case would-be criminals haven’t already spotted your surveillance equipment. Not only will the presence of cameras deter unruly behavior (thus creating a safer environment for your employees) but it will also help you detect theft and identify criminals.

Crowd control tactics

One or two unsavory characters can definitely cause a stir, but it’s that “mob mentality” that will bring the house down. If you’re working with a particularly sought after selection of goods or brands, make sure to educate your staff in the ways of effective crowd management and assign your more assertive employees with the task of keeping the crowds under control if things start to get out of hand.

It’s also important to have all hands on deck to keep customers moving in and out of your store. Do your best to prevent crowd buildups at your registers or around your doors. Hire additional holiday employees if you need them. 

Ensure Employee Safety With LiveView Technologies

We’re here to help with all your Black Friday safety measures! We have extensive experience in securing the retail sector. With our world-class security systems, LiveView Technologies can help you create a safe and secure workplace environment for your employees and your customers this holiday season. Contact one of our security experts today for more information and a free quote.