Cal/OSHA Says Safeway Exposed Workers to Serious Hazards at Largest Warehouse

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited Safeway $182,000 in proposed penalties for safety violations that reportedly put roughly 1,700 workers at risk of serious injuries at the company’s warehouse in Tracy, their largest facility in the nation.

Cal/OSHA issued citations for 27 violations, including eight that were serious in nature, after completing an inspection at Safeway’s Northern California Tracy Distribution Center.

Issues Identified during this high-hazard industry inspection Include:

• Safeway failed to identify and fix issues related to lifting, carrying, and moving heavy items; and did not provide effective training to their supervisors or workers on these hazards.
• The employer failed to ensure the accuracy of annual employee injury and illness summaries, and failed to provide injury and illness recordkeeping documents to Cal/OSHA in a timely manner.
• Safeway failed to establish and maintain effective procedures to address indoor heat hazards in the warehouse’s dry building, which is not temperature controlled, and failed to effectively train employees on the hazards of indoor heat.
• The employer provided inadequate ventilation or exhaust systems for employees welding in two buildings, risking exposure to toxic substances.
• The worksite had multiple damaged electrical cords and unsafe electrical panelboards.
• Safeway failed to provide effective refresher training and evaluations for industrial truck operators to ensure that operators had the skills needed to operate trucks safely.

Employers have the right to appeal any citation and notification of penalty by filing an appeal with the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board within 15 working days from the receipt of notification.