Representatives from Anheuser-Busch in Jersey City, New Jersey stated the company will fight the $162,500 safety violation citations it received from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in December of 2014 surrounding hazards at their Jersey City distribution warehouse. The distributor claims that OSHA’s alleged findings are unsubstantiated and has filed a Notice of Contest with the organization.
According to OSHA, the warehouse facility was targeted for inspection following a high injury and illness rate. During a June 2014 investigation, OSHA determined that workers were exposed to multiple safety hazards, such as defective trucks, blocked exit routes and damaged storage racks. Additionally, investigators found that many of the industrial truck operators were not properly trained and there was a lack of communication regarding chemical exposure hazards.
In total, the warehouse received two willful and eight serious safety violations. A willful safety violation involves an intentional or voluntary disregard for the law, whereas a serious safety violation is one in which the probability of death or serious injury from the hazard is substantial and the employer knew or should have known about the danger.
Within 15 business days of receiving the citations, Anheuser-Busch sought to contest the fines. If the disagreement cannot be settled at the Parsippany, NJ, OSHA Area Office, it will go to an independent review commission.
This is the third time in two years in which the brewer of Budweiser, Corona and Bud Light has allegedly put warehouse workers at serious risk of injury.
If you or a family member has suffered serious injury or illness as a result of work safety violations in New Jersey, please contact the New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyers at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari. We have decades of experience helping injured workers and their loved ones investigate and pursue potential claims. Call 973-845-4421 for a comprehensive consultation at no cost to you.