Goleta California in October. Kettering Ohio and Encinitas California this week. Three storefront crashes at Trader Joe's stores in three months. For a chain that values and promotes its image of a happy team working to serve happy communities, these three crashes (after more than a half dozen over the last three years) show a large gap between what gets said and what gets done at Trader Joe's.
Since announcing their comprehensive storefront protection program called “Universal Parameters for Site Safety Low Speed Barriers" in 2015, Trader Joe's has suffered a number of additional crashes and suffered millions of dollars in judgements and settlements stemming from storefront crashes. Apparently, progress has been very slow on their protection program, because none of the photos of Goleta, Kettering, or Encinitas show any sort of protection for pedestrians, customers, and employees.
The Grocery Industry has been ON NOTICE for years that this problem exists -- insurers, risk managers, and safety folks like the Storefront Safety Council have all documented the problem. Programs that have been announced and/or already underway by companies in the grocery industry are being praised and recognized by many, including our own Storefront Safety Initiative. On that topic, please see www.storefrontsafetyinitiative.org
With something more than 60 vehicle-into-building crashes per day, storefront crashes are a national problem. They will not stop by themselves. If a company announces a safety program and does a poor job of follow-through, what is the message they are sending to employees and customers? Ask Cumberland Farms, who lost a Massachusetts case last year that will cost them several tens of millions of dollars in damages for a single wrongful death of a customer.
Three accidents in three months. It doesn't have to be this way.
The Grocery Industry has been ON NOTICE for years that this problem exists -- insurers, risk managers, and safety folks like the Storefront Safety Council have all documented the problem. Programs that have been announced and/or already underway by companies in the grocery industry are being praised and recognized by many, including our own Storefront Safety Initiative. On that topic, please see www.storefrontsafetyinitiative.org
With something more than 60 vehicle-into-building crashes per day, storefront crashes are a national problem. They will not stop by themselves. If a company announces a safety program and does a poor job of follow-through, what is the message they are sending to employees and customers? Ask Cumberland Farms, who lost a Massachusetts case last year that will cost them several tens of millions of dollars in damages for a single wrongful death of a customer.
Three accidents in three months. It doesn't have to be this way.
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