WorkSafeBC has fined Walmart more than $780,000 for unsafe storage racking practices at stores in Burnaby and Williams Lake.
The safety violations at the Burnaby store at Lougheed mall were discovered after a hazardous materials incident last July, according to inspection reports obtained by the Burnaby NOW.
A worker had disposed of two containers of a pool cleaning product (HTH Super Sock It Shock) in a compactor, and the fire department was called when people noticed a "strong chemical smell" in the back room near the compactor.
A hazardous waste contractor later determined one of the containers of pool cleaner had broken and its contents released into the compactor, according to the reports.
Walmart told WorkSafeBC no workers reported health concerns or symptoms relating to the incident, but the inspectors found the store's paperwork on hazardous chemicals wasn't up to date, the reports said.
Damaged racks
They also found safety problems with storage racking in the back room, including damaged frames and braces.
WorkSafeBC ordered the store to have the damaged sections inspected by a qualified person immediately and have them replaced, repaired or removed.
When WorkSafeBC returned in October to follow up, an inspector determined Walmart had failed to ensure the racks were regularly inspected by a qualified person and that the racks were not being used "in accordance with the specifications and instructions of a professional engineer."
Finally, the inspector found the store didn't have proper instructions for workers to make sure loads put on the racks were within the rated capacity of the racks.
'High-risk violations'
An inspection at the Williams Lake store at 1205 Prosperity Way last August also revealed safety problems with racking.
"In discussion with workers I was told that there were issues with pallets stored unsafely on racking in the warehouse," stated an Aug. 15 inspection report. "Multiple workers reported that there are issues with supervisors allowing unqualified workers to operate the forklift and powered pallet jacks in the afternoon shift, resulting in pallets and materials been stacked unsafely."
The inspectors noted boxes staked on pallets in an unacceptable manner, according to the report.
"Due to the close packing of pallets, there is a potential for a domino effect if boxes on [a] pallet were to topple," the report said.
One pallet of material was discovered protruding from a top rack directly above a worker desk.
On Jan. 30, WorkSafeBC imposed a $783,068.26 fine for the safety violations at the two stores.
"All of these were all high-risk violations," stated a WorkSafeBC summary on the penalty.
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