Wal-Mart develops action plan for crowd control

Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores said it has developed plans to manage holiday crowds shopping at its 3,500 U.S. stores this season. The action plan comes after an employee died in a “Black Friday’’ trampling a year ago.

Wal-Mart consulted with sports and entertainment safety specialists to handle shoppers waiting to enter its stores, David Tovar, a company spokesman, said Monday. The plans, specific to each store, also help direct the flow of shoppers when they are in the stores, check out, and leave, he said.

The Nov. 28, 2008, death of Jdimytai Damour, a temporary worker trampled as he manned the front doors of a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, N.Y., was one of several incidents in the past year leading some retailers to increase safety precautions, National Retail Federation executives said in a published report.

In May, Wal-Mart agreed to a crowd control plan for Black Friday events at its New York stores to avoid prosecution in Damour’s death.

The agreement with Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice didn’t include an admission of guilt or wrongdoing by the retailer.

Some retailers are holding dress rehearsals to test their safety plans before the holidays, said Rhett Asher, the NRF’s VP loss prevention.