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OSHA is carrying through with its new policy to treat similar violations at different facilities owned by the same company as repeat violations.

The agency has issued citations to the Walgreens store in Lithonia, GA, totaling $104,500.

Three repeat violations with $99,000 in penalties include:

• exposing employees to being struck by unsecured compressed gas cylinders
• allowing worker to use an A-frame stepladder to carry inventory up and down and then step from the ladder onto a storage shelf to load and retrieve products without guardrails or fall protection, and
• failing to ensure exit routes are not blocked.

Walgreens was cited for the same three violations in May 2008 at a Chicago location.

An additional violation with a $5,500 penalty was cited for allowing electrical panel access to be blocked by display material and inventory.

Walgreens has 15 business days to contest the citations.

Do you think OSHA should issue repeat violations, which are more costly, when the same violation is found in different facilities owned by the same company? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.

Tags: compressed gas cylinders, repeat citations, stepladder, struck-by, Walgreens