OSHA may soon “stomp” the world’s largest retailer with a $7,000 fine for a stampeding incident that occurred on November 28, 2008 in Long Island, New York, during Walmart’s post-Thanksgiving sale. The bargain shopper’s paradise is charged with poor crowd management, which led to overly eager shoppers crushing a temporary employee who ultimately died of asphyxiation.
The $7,000 fine is the maximum amount allowed, and is levied only for serious incidents that result in death or physical harm because of an employer’s negligence in planning for foreseeable hazards. Walmart disagrees with the potential OSHA citation, claiming that there was no way for them to prevent the disaster. Regardless, the $7,000 fine pales in comparison to Walmart’s estimated revenues of $23,000 a minute.
