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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Publix Supermarkets in Florida with safety violations following a worker injury in which an employee lost his hand, according to Jacksonville.com. The accident occurred in September of 2011, when a worker severed his hand while cleaning a conveyor belt, according to reports.
OSHA cited Publix with 16 safety violations, including the most serious categories; repeat violations and willful violations. The proposed fines total $182,000. OSHA placed Publix in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program. Publix facilities will be subject to more frequent and random inspections. A Publix employee in Deerfield Beach was crushed by a truck in 2007, and OSHA also cited the company for unsafe working conditions at a Georgia facility in 2008. According to Publix spokesperson Dwaine Stevens, the company plans to appeal the violations.
“In the mean time,” said Stevens, “we are actively working on identifying and addressing any issues that may have contributed to this unfortunate incident and are constantly developing ways to improve our safety performance.”
OSHA would not have issued such serious citations and fines without cause. Publix may appeal these citations, but bottom line is it has a history of workplace injuries.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys.