OSHA Fines NJ Distribution Center

EDISON, N.J.—O.C.E. Warehouse and Distribution Center has come under fire from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and faces $123,100 in penalties.

The OSHA was tipped off from a report from the Edison New Jersey Department of Public Safety-Division of Fire, which cited the facility’s fire exits and aisles were blocked and that unsecured merchandise was being stored on racks. The inspection resulted in citations for two willful violations, with a penalty of $100,000, and 12 serious violations, with a penalty of $23,100. The Edison facility employs 82 people.

According to the report, some of the willful violations include failure to continuously maintain exit routes free of obstructions or impediments and for storing materials in damaged racks. OSHA issues a willful violation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.

Some of the more significant violations include the company’s failure to properly identify exit doors, supply employees with personal protective equipment, remove defective forklift trucks, provide adequate training, provide adequate evaluations and procedures for industrial forklift operators, and provide proper storage in workspace areas around electrical equipment.