The exterior of the Dollar General Convenience Store in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2023.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images
General Dollar A Pennsylvania store was again found to have violated federal workplace safety regulations by “deliberately exposing” employees to a fire hazard, the Labor Department said Friday.
Investigators found “dangerous safety hazards” such as blocked emergency exit routes and electrical panels at a store in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, during a November inspection sparked by a complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Did.
The risk is similar to violations found at other stores operated by discounters across the country, and the inspection resulted in more than 180 cases that OSHA found that Dollar General endangered worker safety. One of the investigations, DOL said.
In response, a Dollar General spokeswoman told CNBC, “We regularly review and improve our safety program and strengthen it through training, ongoing communication, awareness and accountability.”
“If we become aware of a situation in which we have not been able to meet this promise, we will address the matter in a timely manner to ensure that the company’s safety expectations are clearly communicated, understood and implemented,” the spokesperson said. Added.
The company, which operates about 18,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 150,000 people, has been fined $15 million for safety violations since 2017, and despite repeated penalties, ” It continues to violate federal workplace safety requirements,” the agency said.
“Exposing our employees to these hazards can be dangerous, especially in an emergency,” OSHA Area Director Mary Reynolds said in a statement. With a considerable history of the same violations and dangers found in stores, they must end their repeated failures to remediate these violations before the emergency turns tragic. yeah.”
Just last week, OSHA announced that Dollar General in settlement negotiations After the retailer was classified as a “serious violator” of workplace safety regulations, federal regulators and It was the first company added to the offenders list.
In the Pennsylvania store matter, OSHA has issued a warning of $245,544 for one willful violation and one repeat violation, but the fines are not going to the retailer’s balance sheet. It is unlikely to have a large impact.
For fiscal 2022, which ended February 3, Dollar General reported revenue of $37.84 billion and net income of $2.41 billion.
The company has 15 business days to pay the fine, request an informal meeting with OSHA’s area director, or challenge the findings before an independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Board.
