In a settlement with OSHA, Sears has agreed to adopt a safety and health program to ensure that all powered industrial trucks are operated in a safe manner. The settlement applies to all Sears stores within federal OSHA jurisdiction.

"We are pleased to resolve this matter and avoid the time and expense of litigation," said Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "We can quickly move forward with steps to ensure safe practices when operating powered industrial trucks and better protect Sears' employees."

The agreement settles citations OSHA issued in September 2005 to a Sears store in Monaca, Pennsylvania, following an accident investigation in which the agency cited the company for exposing employees to fall hazards from powered industrial trucks.

The agency accused the store of allowing employees to ride on unsecured platforms, without guardrails on the forks of the trucks. OSHA also said the company failed to train fork-truck operators and failed to provide personal fall arrest systems to employees or equip trucks with overhead guards to protect employees from falling objects.

Under terms of the agreement, the safety and health program at Sears will include formal instruction, practical training, and the evaluation of each truck operator's performance at least once every three years. The company has also committed to maintaining all powered industrial trucks in safe operating condition, and implementing and enforcing a corporate-wide policy that allows only properly trained employees to be elevated and operate the trucks.