Dollar General stores in Florida and Georgia have exposed workers to unsafe conditions, according to a US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report. Inspectors cited the firm for violations related to merchandise obstructing exit routes, blocking fire extinguishers and unsafe storage of boxes and merchandise at the retailer’s Ocala, Columbus and 13th Avenue stores. The company was issued with $1 million in penalties, in addition to $15 million in fines since 2017 for breaches at its stores throughout the US. The violations included numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety issues.
Inspectors at Ocala and Columbus stores in late August and September 2022 found blocked emergency exits, which exposed workers to fire and entrapment hazards. The agency cited the company for five repeat violations and proposed $710,974 in penalties for the inspections. Meanwhile, OSHA proposed fines of $221,001 in penalties for the Victory Drive store’s blocked emergency exits and unsafe storage. At the 13th Avenue store, OSHA cited Dollar General with one repeat violation and $98,219 in proposed penalties for blocked walkways.
Dollar General operates approximately 19,000 stores and 28 distribution centers in 47 US states, with more than 173,000 employees. In the fiscal year 2022, the company’s net sales were more than $9 billion. In Alabama, Florida and Georgia, OSHA has issued citations in 23 Dollar General store inspections from Feb. 1, 2022 through Jan 31, 2023, with a total of nearly $7.5 million in penalties.
OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta said that exposing employees and others to these hazards can be dangerous, especially in an emergency. Dollar General is well aware of federal requirements, but they continue to ignore their legal responsibilities to protect their employees at stores throughout the nation. Dollar General has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
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