Lowe's Cited for Electrical Hazards at Texas Store
The retailer faces $55,000 in proposed penalties for three alleged serious and two repeat violations.
Lowe's Home Centers Inc. in Killeen, Texas has been cited by OSHA for five alleged safety violations, specifically for exposing employees to electrical and other safety hazards. The three serious and two repeat violations are accompanied by $55,000 in proposed penalties.
One of the serious violations was related to exit signs that were not illuminated. The other two involved failing to "protect exposed lamps from possible breakage or contact and guard electrical receptacles with exposed current-carrying parts," according to a statement on the OSHA website.
"OSHA will not tolerate a company's repeated negligence in failing to keep workers safe from possible injuries," said Casey Perkins, OSHA's area director in Austin. "Exposure to electrical hazards puts workers at risk of electric shock or possibly electrocution."
In addition to the violations, OSHA cited Lowe's for repeat violations of failing to mount fire extinguishers and not providing guards or covers for fluorescent lights. The agency said Lowe's employs 234,000 workers nationwide, including 182 who work at the Killeen location.