Employee files complaint alleging COVID-19 safety flaws at Fort Worth Walmart center
A Walmart employee filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday against a Walmart distribution center in northeast Fort Worth where almost 60 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the complaint.
The company has not closed down to clean the facility, according to a news release from United for Respect. United for Respect is an organization of retail workers nationwide that is seeking higher pay and better working conditions for employees.
The current Walmart employee, who is not identified by name, said in the OSHA complaint, “The distribution center has 58 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, which was disclosed by management.” An additional five employees at the center are “presumed positive,” according to the complaint obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Thursday.
“Social distancing has not been enforced at 6 feet, (and) the number of positive cases continue to rise,” the complaint stated.
The Walmart center is at 5300 Westport Parkway in northeast Fort Worth.
“While we are not going to comment on the specifics of any particular complaint, the controls and practices we have in place are consistent with CDC and OSHA COVID-19 preparedness guidance,” said Robyn Babbitt, a Walmart spokeswoman, in a Thursday email.
As of Thursday, there have been 16,700 positive coronavirus cases in Tarrant County, and more than 250 deaths, according to data from the county public health department.
Walmart officials said they have 1.5 million associates working in the United States at stores and other facilities located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the country’s population.
“Walmart is not immune to the impact of COVID-19,” Babbitt said. “That’s certainly the case in many of the country’s hot spots that have felt the devastating impact of the virus.”
The Walmart employee who filed the complaint said hazardous conditions existed in the packing, inbound, outbound and pick tower areas of the Fort Worth distribution center.
“I’m getting more worried,” the employee recently wrote on social media.
Babbitt said Walmart officials are working with local health officials and taking proactive steps to help ensure the safety of associates and customers.
“For associates that have tested positive, they are using our COVID paid leave options as they recover, in addition to the paid sick leave that is offered to all of our hourly associates,” Babbitt said.
Babbitt said Walmart has invested nearly $1 billion in compensation and benefits in less than three months for associates.
Walmart officials said they are providing masks, gloves and protective eyewear, and taking temperature checks, cleaning facilities and implementing social distancing.
“We will continue to be proactive,” Babbitt said, “in our approach to health and safety.”
Walmart has not publicly disclosed the number of coronavirus cases at the company’s locations, United for Respect officials said in a news release.
UFR members started an online public COVID-19 tracker that tracks infections and monitors store conditions, according to the release. To date there have been at least 22 deaths of Walmart associates from COVID-19, UFR said.
