Home Depot Fined $90,000 for Materials Storage Violation

Workers at a home improvement store were preparing to receive a load of merchandise from a trailer backed into the store’s receiving area, which had three bays. Pallets of patio doors had been placed in overhead racks in two of the bays. One worker opened a bay door while another was clearing a path for merchandise from the trailer. The bay door came into contact with a pallet of patio doors, which tipped over, fell about 11 feet and struck the worker who was moving the merchandise. He suffered injuries to the head, resulting in paralysis and fractures. The MOL investigation found that the racking system hadn’t been installed properly. The store pleaded guilty to a materials storage violation and was fined $90,000 [Home Depot of Canada Inc., Govt. News Release, July 22, 2014].