Kentucky Workers Benefit from Wal-Mart Settlement of OSHA Action

Employees at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in Kentucky might feel a bit safer when they report to work these days.

That’s because Wal-Mart Inc. has reached a sweeping settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to reduce workplace accidents in Kentucky and nationwide.

The August 7 agreement applies to 2,857 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores nationwide. It settles a case that began in 2011, when OSHA conducted two separate inspections at a Wal-Mart Supercenter store in Rochester, New York and found numerous risks to workers, including:

• Employees exposed to dangers when using trash compactors;
• Employees exposed to toxic cleaning chemicals;
• Employees not given adequate training and information about work hazards.

“This settlement will help to keep thousands of exposed Wal-Mart workers safe and healthy on the job,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels in a news release. “We hope this sends a strong message that the law requires employers to provide safe working conditions, and OSHA will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that all employers follow the law.”

Safer Work Conditions for Kentucky Wal-Mart Workers

Under the agreement, the Rochester store will have to pay a monetary fine. All stores across the country will have to implement new worker-protection measures.

These include:

• Trash compactors must remain locked while not in use.
• Trash compactors may not be operated except under the supervision of a trained manager or other trained, designated monitor.
• Wal-Mart will improve its hazard communications training.
• Wal-Mart will improve its procedures to ensure that employees do not handle undiluted cleaning chemicals.
• Wal-Mart will improve its procedures to protect employees working with chemical dispensing equipment.
• Wal-Mart will ensure employees are trained on the new procedures in a language, format and vocabulary the workers can understand.

The settlement agreement can be viewed here. A summary of the agreement will be posted in each store.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers must provide safe workplaces for their employees. OSHA enforces the Act by inspecting worksites and taking disciplinary action when required. Some enforcement actions are resolved by way of a settlement, like the one Wal-Mart agreed to.

Workers at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores who are injured on the job can likely recover workers’ compensation in Kentucky.

Source:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=24495