Reddit Is Appalled At This Alleged Walmart Safety Violation

A self-proclaimed employee at Walmart has shocked Reddit users by sharing details of an alleged safety violation at their store and is asking others for advice. The post's headline reads, "Accidentally threw my tc instead of the dented can in my other hand into the compactor, made to fish it out." The words imply that the employee was told to put their safety at risk to retrieve the device, and this isn't sitting well with several Reddit users in the r/Walmart community.

For those who aren't familiar, a 'tc' is basically a handheld tool that allows Walmart's staff members take a look at what customers have bought at the self-checkout registers and help ensure minimal theft from the store, per a TikTok user (via daily dot). Apparently, the device is a big deal and worth around $1500, says a Reddit user who commented on the thread that it would have been better if the employee was asked to pay for a replacement.

In this concerning Walmart post, the Reddit user explained the sequence of events and wrote that they were "made to crawl into the compactor to get my TC." Seeking the advice of others, the user questioned, "Do I ethics report this? Open door it?" 

The user later edited the post to say that they were forced to look at CCTV footage of the incident and the user wrote, "I got a red coaching, and have to take 2 1 hour OSHA policy training courses at my community center next [month]." Meanwhile, the employee stated that the manager who was claimed to be responsible for this event has been transferred to a different Walmart outlet.

According to the CDC, compactors are dangerous machines that need to be handled with care and "should be equipped with machine guards and safety interlocks to prevent worker injury and interlocks should be designed so that they cannot be bypassed."

Redditors express concerns in the thread with the top-rated comment reading, "Not only can you get fired for it, whoever told you to can get fired for it as well. That is against so many safety policies, it's not even funny", while someone else claimed that the "correct process would've been to LOTO the machine, and have a certified tech get it." Someone also suggested that the employee should look into filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor.