After receiving citations requiring it to correct existing fall hazards at its Chester warehouse, and paying $17,403 in penalties, Adidas America Inc. – maker of one of the world’s best-selling sneakers – now faces an additional $396,377 in penalties for continuing to ignore U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety standards.
The action comes after a January 2024 follow-up inspection at the facility prompted by Adidas’ failure to submit required proof to the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that the company had installed required guardrails or equivalent protection for employees accessing and working atop a mezzanine, and made certain a ladder used to access the mezzanine extended at least three feet above the landing.
OSHA cited the company in March 2022 after its original 2021 inspection found the absence of guardrails and an unsafe ladder exposed Adidas employees to falls of up to 10 feet to the floor below. Inspectors returned in 2024 to find the company had not corrected its violations.
“When employers agree to correct a hazard, they must follow through and prove to OSHA that the hazards were addressed,” explained OSHA Area Director Rita Young in Albany, New York. “Adidas America Inc. failed to do so, continued to expose their employees to potentially deadly and disabling injuries and are now liable for additional and sizable OSHA penalties.”
View the citation and Failure to Abate notice.
OSHA’s Warehousing page provides solutions to prevent injuries from hazards including forklifts, slips, trips and falls and materials handling. The agency’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures.
Adidas America Inc. is a subsidiary of Adidas AG, an athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany, which is one of the world’s largest sportswear manufacturers. Adidas America Inc. designs and markets its products, providing shoes, apparel and accessories for men, women, boys, girls, and infants and toddlers, as well as specialized basketball, football and training shoes.
Adidas America Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.