The United States Department of Labor has fined a Colorado branch of grocery store chain Trader Joe’s nearly USD217,000 for forklift safety violations.

The fine followed an inspection by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in December 2023.

OSHA cited Trader Joe’s for lack of adequate safety training for forklift operators and failing to inspect forklifts at its Greenwood Village facility. 

Trader Joe’s had been cited for violating these same standards in three prior OSHA inspections in Pennsylvania, Maine and Massachusetts.

The company was also cited for repeatedly blocking and rendering inaccessible electrical equipment with boxes, a violation that Trader Joe’s was previously cited in Maine, New York and New Jersey.  

Proposed penalties total USD216,902 as a result of the Colorado inspection.

Trader Joe’s has 15 business days from receipt of citation and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings.

“Employers must comply with all federal safety standards, including forklift safety training and keeping areas around electrical equipment clear to help prevent serious injuries and fatal incidents,” says OSHA area director Chad Vivian. 

“We will continue to cite companies that fail to implement the measures necessary to protect their employees from these hazards.”