Dollar General, a popular retailer with over 19,000 stores nationwide, has recently come under fire for its significant workplace safety violations. Since 2017, the company has accumulated over $21 million in fines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
In addition to safety concerns such as blocked fire exits and clutter, Dollar General has also faced issues with gun violence in its stores. Shockingly, 49 people have been killed and 172 people have been injured at Dollar General locations due to gun violence, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
Due to its repeated violations, Dollar General was added to OSHA’s “severe violators” list in 2023. As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor has required the retailer to pay $12 million in penalties and implement significant workplace safety improvements across its stores.
The settlement mandates that Dollar General must hire additional safety managers, reduce inventory levels, and increase stocking efficiency to prevent blocked exits and clutter. Furthermore, the retailer is required to provide safety and health training to all employees and establish a safety and health committee with employee participation.
To address safety hazards, Dollar General has hired third-party consultants and auditors to identify risks and perform unannounced annual compliance audits. This move follows a shareholder vote in May 2023, which called for increased safety measures that the company initially opposed.
As part of the agreement with the Department of Labor, Dollar General must monitor the outcomes of its safety efforts and provide quarterly reports to OSHA. The retailer is also required to promptly correct safety hazards, such as blocked access to fire extinguishers and improper material storage, within 48 hours.
Failure to correct safety hazards in a timely manner can result in additional fines of up to $100,000 per day, up to a maximum of $500,000. This strict penalty system aims to ensure that Dollar General takes its workplace safety obligations seriously and prioritizes the well-being of its employees and customers.
Dollar General’s workplace safety violations have had far-reaching consequences, from significant financial penalties to the tragic incidents of gun violence in its stores. By implementing the required safety improvements and complying with government regulations, the retailer can work towards creating a safer and more secure environment for everyone who steps foot in a Dollar General store.
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