DOL Cites Petco for Unlabeled Cleaning Chemicals

According to a recent press release, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) identified chemical hazards in a Petco store in North Andover, Massachusetts, related to unlabeled containers of cleaning chemicals and a lack of adequate facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and skin.

In addition, a federal workplace safety inspection found that the pet supply location, operated by a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest pet care companies, routinely exposed employees to live and dead rodents, as well as their waste. The inspection also found that the store exposed employees to electrical hazards by blocking access to electrical panels.

The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Columbus, Ohio, Petco store in 2022 for similar electrical hazards, as well as in 2021 for vermin control violations in Texas.

According to OSHA, the DOL opened its inspection of the North Andover Petco location in February 2023 in response to an employee complaint. Inspectors determined that the facility lacked an effective and adequate vermin control program to stop rodents from entering the store and sheltering in areas such as the receiving room and on the sales floor, and the store was cited at the end of last week.

The agency cited the Petco location for two repeat and two serious violations, as well as proposed US$129,473 in penalties.

“Protecting the safety and health of employees must be a core value for employers, large and small,” said Sarah T. Carle, OSHA Andover area director. “After previous citations for similar violations, Petco is well aware of the importance of having effective programs in place to control pests and safeguard against hazards at all of its locations.”