I’m sure by now you have all read about the man who was trampled to death by eager crowds at a New York Wal-Mart.
On Black Friday, Jdimytai Damour, a hulking man who was 6 foot 5 and 270 pounds, was mowed down just as he was unlocking the doors by an unchecked and unruly crowd of an estimated 2,000 people. Damour’s cause of death was asphyxiation, Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey said in an interview.
It was later determined that Damour was hired via a staffing agency and had only been at the store for one week. He had not received training for any security assignments or crowd control and was placed at the front door because of his large stature.
This was a tragic occurrence that could have prevented had different levels of staff completed proper procedures. While Wal-Mart is at fault for not placing a heightened level of security in and around the store, much of the blame also lies with the staffing agency. It is clear that they did not perform adequate research about what the job would entail and placed a man who was not properly trained in a job that he should never have been considered for simply on the basis of his looks.
Lawsuits are being considered against Wal-Mart and other parties involved, a lawyer representing Damour’s sisters said. As of today, the staffing agency had not responded to press inquiries.
I remember when I began working at a well-known staffing agency a few years ago and was told about an incident that had occurred before I arrived. A man came in to one of the branches as walk-in, filled out some paperwork, was not interviewed, and was given a brief description of a job that he would perform at a local factory. Prior to this, the man had little to no manufacturing experience and was placed in the position simple because he appeared “blue-collar.” The onsite hiring manager put him to work at a machine that he was not trained to operate, and this mistake resulted in the loss of the man’s arm.
Even though there might be pressure to fill a job quickly, especially during the holiday rush when orders are firing in and hiring managers are demanding warm bodies, the recruiter should always visit the job site first and determine if there are any safety risks. Always get a detailed and accurate depiction of what the job will entail and assurances that in no way, shape, or form will the laborer deviate from the task to which he is assigned.
Since the worker is an actual employee of the staffing agency, it is their responsibility to make sure that conditions are safe, the job description suits the candidate’s background, and all necessary training procedures have been followed.
If this had been done in the case of Damour, a terrible tragedy might have been avoided.
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