U.S. Labor Dept.: DeMoulas Agrees to Enhance Employee Safety

The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an agreement with , according to a press release, that will lead to the chain correcting “all hazards” and taking “substantive steps to enhance safety and health measures for employees at more than 60 locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The settlement follows litigation and fines that were forwarded by .

“This enterprise-wide settlement is significant because DeMoulas has agreed not only to correct the hazards cited during OSHA’s inspections but also to enact effective and ongoing systemic changes that will benefit all its employees,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels, in a statement.

DeMoulas contested the OSHA and the Labor Department filed a complaint asking for the enterprise-wide correction of the hazards. While DeMoulas fought the complaint, it also made improvements, including at the Fort Eddy Road store, for example.

As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay $400,000 in fines. The company will also implement a number of improvements, including the hiring of a full-time safety and health director, who will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the enhanced safety provisions.

James Laboe, of , in Concord, an attorney representing the company, said in a statement that while Market Basket “disagreed with many of the conclusions by OSHA,” it agreed that the settlement was “in the best interests for all involved.” He stated the chain would make improvements in order to keep its “long-standing goal of promoting a healthy and safe work environment for all its employees.”

The changes, Laboe noted, would set Market Basket “apart from its competition and at the forefront of health and safety for the grocery business.”