A Cautionary Tale: Local retailer has "repeat - serious" OSHA fines, total over half million

It can happen to you!

A familiar national retail chain in western North Dakota received tremendous proposed OSHA penalties in May 2023. The proposed penalties totaled over $500,000, and each violation was a simple general housekeeping regulation. Here's where OSHA found fault:

"* The main storage room, receiving room, and store aisles were in a disorderly state due to excessive merchandise, posing slip and trip hazards.

* The emergency exit was obstructed by various merchandise and rolling storage containers.

* Portable fire extinguishers were not easily accessible or properly mounted.

* The storage and receiving rooms had boxes and loose materials stacked in an unbalanced and unstable manner, posing a risk of falling on employees. Products were stacked up to seven feet high and leaning.

* There was an electrical hazard involving an electrical panel in the main storage room."

This just goes to show: OSHA takes this stuff seriously! You don't have to be in a high-hazard industry to put your employees at risk. Granted, the fines were increased because the violations were a repeat offense. Still, it's easy to see that just a little general housekeeping can go a long way!

 Here's a few pointers to keep your employees safe and to avoid penalties like these:

- Keep emergency exists unobstructed.

- Mount your fire extinguishers, ensure they're not obstructed, and keep them up-to-date on inspections.

- Make sure there's at least three feet of clearance around electrical panels. Even better is to paint lines on the floor to remind everyone of this clearance requirement.

- Keep aisles clear.

- Make sure stacks of materials are stable and not in danger of falling over.

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/killdeer-dollar-general-store-slammed-235000081.html