Locked/blocked exits prompt $580K in OSHA penalties
A national retailer, with what OSHA calls a long history of violations, was slapped with four willful citations after local fire officials sent a referral to the agency regarding a Wisconsin store. Once inside the store last December and January, OSHA inspectors found a:
- Locked exit — Emergency exit doors to the back receiving room were padlocked with a bike lock and a board placed through the handles. Employees were not able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools, or special knowledge. This violated 29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1). The violation was considered willful and serious because the retailer had previously been cited for the same violation three times elsewhere in the U.S. Now the store received the maximum penalty of $145,027.
- Blocked exit — Merchandise and carts blocked the exit in the receiving room, according to OSHA. The exit route was not kept free and unobstructed, and violated 1910.37(a)(3). This violation too was considered willful and serious because the retailer had been cited previously for the same violation 12 times in the U.S. This time the penalty was the maximum $145,027.
- Blocked extinguisher — A portable fire extinguisher in the back receiving room was obstructed with carts/containers. The extinguishers were not readily accessible per 1910.157(c)(1). OSHA found that the retailer previously violated this regulation twice in the U.S., so the violation was considered willful and serious and picked up another maximum $145,027 penalty.
- Blocked electrical panel — Adequate space around electrical panels was not provided says OSHA. Inspectors found that the employer obstructed the access and working space about electrical panels with carts/containers, in violation of 1910.303(g)(1). The citation explains that the retailer violated that regulation eight previous times in the U.S., and the violation was willful and serious, but OSHA did not propose a penalty amount.
While store managers explained that the doors needed repair to close properly, OSHA determined the doors were in disrepair for three months. The store has settled the case for $435,081 in penalties.
However, in January, a similar inspection was conducted at another one of the retailer’s stores in Ohio. That location was cited for barrel locks on the inside of a double-door emergency exit in the back room in violation of 1910.36(d)(1) . The Ohio store was cited for one willful violation and settled the case with $145,027 in penalties.
It is noteworthy that officials for the company had signed settlement agreements with OSHA in 2017, promising to resolve similar violations at its stores nationwide. However, OSHA officials say, based on the latest violations, the retailer continues to gamble with workers’ lives and must stop before tragedy strikes.