TJ Maxx ‘Took Immediate Steps’ After OSHA Inspection
TJ Maxx is looking at nearly $67,000 in fines for failing to provide clear exitways.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the off-price retailer’s Reynoldsburg, Ohio, store in May and issued a $66,960 fine on June 15 because the location had inaccessible exits.
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TJ Maxx was previously cited for violating this OSHA standard at Bessemer, Ala. and Bastrop, Texas stores.
OSHA requires businesses to have clear exit routes that are free from obstruction and don’t go through lockable areas, such as a bathroom, or lead to a dead end. The May inspection found items in the path of the exit door and a space just 27 inches wide for workers to escape through, in violation of exit routes and emergency planning standard 1910.37(a)(3).
While the filing doesn’t go into much detail, exit route violations include instances in which danger isn’t minimized, when workers must leave via a high-hazard area, when an exit is obstructed, or when an exit isn’t properly marked or lit, according to OSHA’s website.
TJ Maxx said it worked quickly to “correct” the safety issues after OSHA’s inspection.
“At TJ Maxx, we are deeply committed to the safety of our associates and take OSHA’s concerns regarding our Reynoldsburg store very seriously,” a spokesperson for the company told Sourcing Journal. “Our field leadership regularly conducts store visits, which involve reviews for safety concerns, including accessibility of work aisles, processing areas, and exits. Our store associates are also regularly reminded of our expectations for a clean, neat and organized store. Following OSHA’s inspection in Reynoldsburg, we took immediate steps to correct the concerns brought to our attention.”
When asked if TJ Maxx will contest the charges, the Massachusetts-based company said it had nothing further to address beyond its statement.
