Rite Aid Corporation has committed to establishing and executing a bloodborne pathogen safety program for its retail employees in all of its stores situated in New Jersey and New York. This resolution by the Department of Labor comes after Occupational Safety and Health Administration citations and violations in Niagara Falls, according to an Aug. 21 news release.
"Our settlement agreement with Rite Aid Corp. will significantly enhance safety for many of the company’s employees in hundreds of stores in the metro-area and beyond," OSHA Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson said in the release. "They have committed to making sure employees at its New Jersey and New York stores are trained and protected by the same safeguards that apply to employees whose job-specific duties require coverage under the bloodborne pathogen standards."
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the collaborative effort with Rite Aid Corp. to enhance the safety of employees, especially those working in front-end customer service roles, across approximately 370 stores in New Jersey and New York. The agreement stems from an investigation initiated by OSHA in April 2022, the release said.
This inquiry followed an incident at a Rite Aid branch in Niagara Falls, where an employee was directed to clean up blood spilled during a customer injury in February 2022. It was revealed the employee had not been offered a hepatitis B vaccine prior to the occurrence, and Rite Aid was lacking a proper exposure control plan, leading to citations for violations of OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, the release reported
Initially, Rite Aid contested OSHA's citations through the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. However, the company has since reached a settlement with OSHA, agreeing to an amended fine of $10,000 and taking corrective measures at all New Jersey and New York stores, according to the release.
These measures encompass the development and execution of an exposure control plan with safety precautions for retail employees who may need to handle blood or potentially infectious materials. Comprehensive training on bloodborne hazards and the safe handling of such materials will also be provided. Additionally, Rite Aid will offer a free hepatitis B vaccination series to relevant employees and ensure non-covered employees are not tasked with handling blood spills or potentially infectious substances, the release reported.
The remedial actions undertaken by Rite Aid extend to store monitoring for compliance by both managers and third-party consultants, who will then report to both Rite Aid and OSHA about the company's adherence to the agreement. Furthermore, the agreement stipulates Rite Aid must not retaliate against employees expressing safety concerns or providing information on safety matters to managers or OSHA, the release said.
This collaboration underscores the U.S. Department of Labor's commitment to ensuring worker safety and health while addressing specific incidents to foster a safer work environment, according to the release.
