The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reached a settlement with Dollar General. The retailer will pay a $12 million fine and make “significant workplace safety improvements” in its stores.
“This agreement commits Dollar General to making worker safety a priority by implementing significant and systematic changes in its operations to improve accountability and compliance, and it gives Dollar General employees essential input on ensuring their own health and safety,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas Parker.
“These changes help give peace of mind to thousands of workers, knowing that they are not risking their safety in their workplaces and that they will come home healthy at the end of each day.”
The OSHA complaint cites cluttered stores, something customers have sometimes noted in their reviews of Dollar General posted at ConsumerAffairs. In addition to paying the fine, Dollar General agreed to implement a number of safety improvements, committing itself to:
Establishing and maintaining an expanded safety structure and a robust safety and health management system, including hiring additional safety managers
Significantly reducing inventory and increasing stocking efficiency to prevent blocked exits and unsafe material storage
Providing safety and health training to both leadership and non-managerial employees
Developing a safety and health committee and encouraging employee participation
Other requirements
The agreement also requires Dollar General to ensure prompt abatement of any future violations related to blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels, and improper material storage at its stores during the agreement term.
The settlement requires the company to correct these hazards — generally within 48 hours — and submit proof they corrected hazards.
Failure to do so would subject the retailer to fines of $100,000 per day of violation, up to $500,000, as well as OSHA inspection and enforcement actions.