Dollar General’s safety violation pace has remained constant over the last few months, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) even added a little momentum following more inspections in the Tampa, Fla., area.
There, inspections at two Dollar General stores revealed employees being exposed to fire hazards and other unsafe conditions. Both were repeat violations, and the discount retailer now faces over $340,000 in new fines.
At a Brandon, Fla., store exit routes were blocked, and inspectors spotted electrical hazards. The store also did not have a working restroom for employees and a restroom sewer drain was blocked, creating a tripping hazard. In Dade City, Fla., an emergency exit was blocked by rolling containers and merchandise, which exposed workers to fire and entrapment hazards. The same safety violations were found inside both stores back in January 2023.
Dollar General received citations for three repeat, two dangerous, and three “other-than-serious” violations, which added up to $342,282.
“After more than 200 failed inspections, Dollar General cannot claim that they misunderstand federal safety requirements. At this point, we can only conclude that they choose to continue exposing their employees to hazardous conditions,” said OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Fla. “Dollar General must make changes to correct these recurring violations before a worker is needlessly injured or worse.”
Dollar General is sitting on $21 million in unpaid fines related to safety violations, reports business news site The Messenger.
Since 2017, OSHA has conducted over 240 Dollar General inspections, which have resulted in several penalties for the discount retailer. The company has contested the findings with OSHA.
