Dollar General cited for repeated fire safety violations

Image via Unsplash

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.

OSHA cited the store's operator for three repeated safety violations and proposed penalties of $254,478. Dollar General Corp. is included in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

ON DEMAND: Business-impacting events such as severe weather, man-made disasters, and supply chain disruption are increasing in frequency and making impacts around the globe.

Employees don’t feel prepared to navigate an increasingly dangerous world, and they expect their employers to not only care about their personal safety, but to actively keep them safe.