OSHA was alerted by a local fire department that a Dollar General store had blocked off its fire exits and extinguishers. Similar hazards were found at other store locations, contributing to more than $15 million in proposed federal penalties for the discount retail chain since 2017.

In September and November 2022, inspectors with OSHA found exit routes throughout the store and a storeroom emergency exit and fire extinguishers blocked by stacks of merchandise and rolling containers. The unsafely stacked merchandise also exposed workers to the risk of being struck by falling boxes.