DEMOULAS MARKET BASKET, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, DEMOULAS MARKET BASKET, INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 875 EAST STREET, TEWKSBURY, MA 01876 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 33 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $63,250.00. The inspection case was opened on 2001-06-19.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 33 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning October 9, 2001 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 2, 2002. Of the 33 total citations, 14 (42%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $63,250.00 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $1,916.67 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of the Demoulas Market Basket facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in specialized equipment safety and material handling protocols, evidenced by 33 citations and a penalty total exceeding $63,000. The concentration of violations under 1910.178 (Powered Industrial Trucks) and 1910.179 (Overhead and Gantry Cranes) indicated a systemic failure to manage mechanical hazards within a high-volume logistics environment. Specifically, the gravity-10 ratings for forklift operator training and operational speed standards (1910.178 L and N) suggested that management allowed unlicensed or improperly supervised personnel to operate heavy machinery, creating a high probability of crushing injuries or workplace fatalities. Furthermore, the simultaneous presence of Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) deficiencies (1910.147) and exit route obstructions (1910.37) pointed to a broader organizational neglect of life-safety fundamentals. While individual penalties for egress and emergency eye wash stations were relatively modest, their inclusion alongside significant mechanical handling violations demonstrated that the facility’s safety program was reactive rather than preventative. The penalty severity was notably high for the retail-wholesale sector during this period, signaling that OSHA inspectors identified a lack of effective managerial oversight and a failure to implement the basic administrative controls required to protect a large workforce from predictable industrial risks. This record reflects a culture where operational throughput likely took precedence over the integrity of the facility’s safety management system.