Popular Colorado Grocery Store Fined $200,000 for Hazardous Work Environment

The grocery store drama in Colorado has been real.

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A staple of Colorado life, King Soopers, was recently named the worst grocery store chain in the country (which is sort of ridiculous if you ask me).

The same study even ranked four Colorado grocery stores within the top 10 worst individual stores in the country.

However, the store that topped the chart as the best grocery store chain in the country recently came under major fire in Colorado for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) safety regulations.

Colorado Trader Joe’s Fined $216,902 by OSHA for Violating Safety Regulations

In April, OSHA handed out a huge fine directed towards the Trader Joe’s in Greenwood Village. It is specifically located on 5910 South University Boulevard.

They cited repeated violations by the store for a disregard of the agency’s regulations. In particular, the Greenwood Village Trader Joe’s was allowing employees with minimal experience to drive the forklifts.

The store also reportedly did not provide employees with adequate enough training as well.

These findings were made in December of 2023, but the verdict came out in April of this year.

The $216,902 fine will be directed towards the company’s headquarters in Monrovia, California.

Trader Joe’s is beloved here in Colorado, with 8 locations across the state, including locations in Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton, Parker, Boulder, and the aforementioned Greenwood Village location. 

Safety Violations at Trader Joe’s Has Been a Recurring Theme in Other States

OSHA noted that this has been an issue as of late with the Trader Joe’s brand as a whole.

They have found safety violations involving forklifts in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine as well.

There’s also been violations by locations in New York, Maine, and New Jersey for “...repeatedly blocking and rendering inaccessible electrical equipment with boxes”. 

With all of this being said, it’s clear the violation in Colorado is no isolated incident. Hopefully, there is a company-wide shift in safety protocols for their employees.