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N.Y. Store Cited For Willful Safety Violations

Jan. 5, 2001

OSHA cited Party City Corp., Bronx, N.Y., and proposed penalties\r\nof $111,150 against the firm for two violations of OSHA standards.

EHS Today Staff

OSHA cited Party City Corp., Bronx, N.Y., and proposed penalties of $111,150 against the firm for two alleged willful and five alleged serious violations of OSHA standards.

According to OSHA, the action results from an investigation conducted from July 5 through Oct. 19, 2000 at the party-supply store following a complaint concerning a locked fire exit.

OSHA alleges that the company willfully violated OSHA''s fire protection standard by failing to keep exits unlocked and unobstructed in order to provide means of free escape from the building.

The alleged serious violations for which the employer was cited included:

failure to properly train employees in the use of fire extinguishers and hazards associated with their use;
failure to provide handrails on stairs;
failure to provide directional exit signs;
failure to properly stack boxes so as to prevent their falling on employees; and
failure to properly secure helium cylinders during use.

The company has until Jan. 23 to contest the citations.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.