The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently fined one of the nation's largest employers after finding workplace safety violations. The same safety issues had also been discovered between 2008 and 2010 at Walmart stores across the country and specifically at one store in Rincon, Georgia.

Some of the safety violations were related to safety mechanisms and personal protection around compactors and grinders. Without proper protective guards around these machines and correct personal protective equipment, arm and hand injuries are more likely to occur. A hand or arm can easily be crushed in the machine, if an operator makes a tiny miscalculation and safety guards are not in place.

Specific violations cited

The violations this time were found at a Walmart Supercenter and were taken more seriously since the company has been cited for similar safety breaches in the past. The company was fined $365,500.

The safety violations included:

  • No lockout/tagout procedure for energy sources needed to perform safe maintenance of a compactor
  • Insufficient guards on a grinder
  • No training on how to use personal protective equipment for employees
  • Lack of protection for eyes and face.

OSHA requires that employers complete a worksite assessment to determine which possible hazards might require the use of protective equipment. After the review is complete, employees need to have training on using the personal protective equipment.

Sometimes protective equipment is the last line of defense in avoiding a workplace injury. Goggles for instance can protect workers from flying fragments of metal or debris that could escape a grinder or a compactor.

Management needs to work closely with employees to identify and prevent hazardous conditions. Workplace injuries are the most tragic when they could have been prevented if small safety measures had been put in place.

Source: Occupational Health & Safety, "Wal-Mart Hit with $365,000 Fine for Repeat Hazards," Feb. 9, 2012