July 21, 2014 – Home improvement chain Lowe’s (Zanesville, Ohio) has been cited by the States’ OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) for five repeat and one serious safety violation; among the reasons was exposing workers to electrical hazards.

The repeat electrical violations involve using cords in lieu of fixed wiring, failing to guard live parts of electrical equipment adequately against accidental contact, and not closing unused openings in electrical panels.

OSHA issues repeat violations when an employer is previously cited for the same or similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The agency says Lowe’s was cited for similar violations at home improvement stores in New York, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana and Florida between 2009 and 2014.

The serious violation was cited for not installing and using electrical equipment in accordance with listed or labelled instructions. An OSHA violation is serious when death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard an employer knows about (or should have known about).