Dollar General Cited With $12.3 Million in OSHA Penalties Since 2017
Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC—which operate 18,000 stores and employ more than 150,000 workers—are once again facing penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor after seven southeast OSHA inspections found 31 Occupational Safety and Health Act violations. The latest proposed penalties are $2.7 million; however, the business entities have received more than $12.3 million in initial penalties since 2017 for numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety violations.
Over the past five years, OSHA has found exit routes obstructed, boxes of merchandise stacked unsafely and electrical panels hard to access in more than 180 inspections at Dollar General stores nationwide. In 2022, OSHA inspectors cited the business entities for 11 willful, 16 repeat and four serious violations, including:
Failing to label, mount or make fire extinguishers accessible
Storing boxes in front of electrical panels, increasing the risk of fire and electrical hazards
Failing to use exit signs to facilitate safe egress in the event of an emergency
Exposing workers to electrocution by not keeping unused openings in electrical cabinets closed
Not providing handrails on stairs where required
In October 2022, four inspections in Alabama, Florida and Georgia led OSHA to propose $1,682,392 in penalties. August 2022 saw three inspections in Georgia result in $1,292,783 in penalties for exposing workers to fire, electrical and entrapment hazards. In February 2022, OSHA proposed $1,048,309 in penalties after three inspections in Georgia and one in Alabama found similar violations. OSHA also proposed $321,827 in penalties in December 2021 for exposing workers to slip and trip hazards and not keeping the main storeroom orderly to allow a safe exit in an emergency.
“Dollar General has shown a pattern of alarmingly willful disregard for federal safety standards, choosing to place profits over their employees’ safety and well-being,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “Neighborhood stores exist to support the needs of their communities—the same communities in which many Dollar General employees live—and that support must include following laws designed to keep workers safe from preventable injuries or worse.”
The business entities have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings. For more information, contact us today.
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