In a significant development, discount retailer Dollar General has agreed to pay a hefty fine of $12 million and make substantial improvements to workplace safety in over 19,000 stores across the United States. The settlement comes after numerous allegations of workplace safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The agreement covers a range of issues, including blocked fire exits, cluttered stores, and inaccessible electrical panels. Since 2017, Dollar General has accumulated over $33 million in fines from OSHA for various safety violations. The company's poor safety record has resulted in the deaths of 49 people and injuries to 172 others due to gun violence at its stores.
Dollar General was the first company added to OSHA's 'severe violators' list in 2023 for its repeated failure to address workplace safety issues. The retailer has been criticized for maintaining dangerous working conditions, with low-wage employees often left responsible for managing stores with only one or two workers on site.
Under the terms of the settlement, Dollar General is required to hire additional safety managers and provide extensive safety training to all employees. The company will also establish a health and safety committee with employee participation. Merchandise levels in stores will be reduced to prevent blocked fire exits, ensuring that emergency exits remain accessible at all times.
Dollar General has hired third-party consultants and auditors to identify hazards and perform unannounced annual compliance audits. The retailer has also created a new Safety Operations Center and maintained an anonymous hotline for employees and the public to report safety concerns.
The settlement requires Dollar General to correct any safety violations within 48 hours, with fines of up to $500,000 per violation if corrections are not made in a timely manner. The company will also be required to submit quarterly reports detailing its progress towards improving workplace safety.
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas Parker stated, '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.'
Dollar General did not respond to requests for comment on the settlement.
