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Retailer Pier 1 cited for blocked exits, other hazards

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Pier 1 Imports Inc. faces $101,420 in proposed penalties from federal workplace safety regulators for hazards such as blocked exits.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Fort Worth, Texas-based home decor retailer for failing to prevent boxes from blocking aisles and piling them to dangerous heights at its Glendale, Wisconsin, store. Similar hazards have been identified at other Pier 1 store locations, OSHA said last week.

OSHA cited Pier 1 for five repeat, two serious and one nonserious violation at the Glendale store after initiating an inspection in November based on an employee complaint, the agency said in a statement.

In addition to unstable boxes and blocked aisles, Pier 1 was cited for improperly using ladders, exposing employees to fall hazards due to a lack of railings and blocking electrical panels.

“Pier 1 must take responsibility to ensure the safety of its workers in all of its stores before someone is hurt or worse,” Christine Zortman, OSHA's area director in Milwaukee, said in a statement.

Reacting to the citation and penalty, Pier 1 said it is cooperating with OSHA.

“The safety of Pier 1 Imports' associates is of the utmost importance,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We strive to ensure that our associates have a safe work environment.”

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