Is the long Dollar General saga with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration over? It appears that after numerous inspections in the last decade that have resulted in violations, citations and millions of dollars in fines, the retailer, which operates more than 19,000 stores nationwide, is committing to worker safety.
OSHA recently entered a corporate-wide settlement with Dollar General and its retail subsidiaries to make significant workplace safety improvements in stores nationwide. Dollar General agreed to pay $12 million in penalties and implement corporate-wide changes that make the safety of its employees a priority. These improvements include the following:
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 company must correct such hazards and submit proof that they corrected hazards. Failure to do so subjects Dollar General to monetary assessments of $100,000 per day of violation, up to $500,000, as well as OSHA inspection and enforcement actions.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
