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Diving brief:
- An investigation by the Federal Department of Labor revealed “dangerous security risks” during an inspection in November at a store in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators reported finding blocked emergency exits and electrical panels.
- As a result of the violations, OSHA cited the discount retailer for willful violation and repeat violation and proposed $245,544 in fines. The company has 15 business days to pay the fine, challenge the findings before the OSHA Review Board, or request a conference with the OSHA Regional Director.
- The violations found at the central Pennsylvania store are among nearly 180 nationwide investigations in which Dollar General is accused of “endangering worker safety,” the Department of Labor said in a statement Friday.
Overview of the dive:
According OSHA Records, inspectors cited the company’s store at 53 Carl W. Kephart Blvd. for a willful and serious violation maintenance, protective measures and operational characteristics of exit routes. Inspectors said a blocked fire escape near the store’s cleaning products section put employees working in the back half of the store at risk of fire on or around November 14.
Regulators also said employees were at risk of fire due to a blocked electrical panel on or around the same date. The issue, which OSHA called a repeat serious violation, was corrected during the inspection, records show.
“Exposing employees to these hazards can be dangerous, especially in an emergency,” Mary Reynolds, regional director for OSHA in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, said in a statement. “Dollar General Corp. has a substantial history of the same violations and hazards found in stores across the United States. They must end their repeated failures to correct these violations before an emergency becomes tragic.”
Tennessee-based Dollar General, one of America’s largest retailers, has a “long history of federal workplace safety violations,” according to OSHA.
“As a growing retailer serving thousands of communities across the country, Dollar General is committed to providing a safe work environment for its associates and a shopping experience for its customers,” the company said in a statement to Retail Dive. “We regularly review and refine our safety programs and reinforce them through training, ongoing communication, recognition and accountability. When we become aware of situations where we have not met this commitment, we strive to resolve the issue in a timely manner and ensure that the company’s security expectations are clearly communicated, understood and implemented. . »
OSHA said in January it discovered dozens of blocked exit violations at 19 stores in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The agency noted that in addition to creating a fire hazard, improperly stored goods can fall, leading to injuries.
“Dollar General’s growing disregard for security measures makes it very clear that the company puts profit before people,” said Atlanta OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer. a statement from january. “These violations are preventable, and failing to prevent them shows blatant disregard for the workers they depend on to run their stores. OSHA continues to do its utmost to hold Dollar General accountable for its failures.”
Dollar General’s 19,000th store opened in January. The company employs approximately 170,000 people. During an earnings call in March, CEO Jeff Owen said the company plans to spend $100 million in store-level investments to fund more staff in a bid to improve its in-store experience for customers. .
