The U.S. Department of Labor has taken action against The Salvation Army following a tragic incident in which a maintenance worker, aged 54, suffered fatal injuries from a fall at an Orlando donation center and store in November 2024.
An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed that the worker was repairing a roof leak when the fall occurred on November 7. OSHA has cited The Salvation Army for a repeat violation related to exposing workers to fall hazards. A similar citation had been issued at their Princeton, West Virginia location in January 2020.
In addition to the repeat violation, OSHA identified five serious violations. These included failure to assess workplace hazards adequately, provide necessary fall protection training, and ensure proper machine guarding. Two other-than-serious violations were also noted: failing to report the fatality to OSHA within eight hours of the incident and not having a hazard communication program in place.
To address these violations, The Salvation Army is set to pay $120,817 in penalties.
OSHA's fall prevention campaign provides training materials and resources aimed at helping employers protect their workers. Employers are encouraged to contact OSHA for free compliance assistance resources and guidance on meeting OSHA standards.
