Dollar General Cited Again for Safety Issues: $15M in OSHA Fines Since 2017

Dollar General Corp. is once again facing stiff penalties for workplace safety violations, this time in Florida and Alabama.

The U.S. Department of Labor said that just weeks after the nationwide chain of discount stores was hit with citations for blocked exits and fire hazards, stores have been cited for similar violations and $205,000 in penalties.

Since 2017, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined Dollar General more than $15 million for “numerous willful, repeat and serious workplace safety violations related to unsafe conditions in more than 180 inspections nationwide,” the department said in a bulletin this week.

“Dollar General’s growing record of disregard for safety measures makes it abundantly clear that the company puts profit before people,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer, in Atlanta. “These violations are preventable, and failing to prevent them shows a blatant disregard for the workers on whom they depend to keep their stores operating. OSHA continues to make every effort to hold Dollar General accountable for its failures.”

The Tennessee-based Dollar General Corp. has 15 days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company has about 18,000 stores and 17 distribution centers in 47 states, with more than 150,000 workers, according to OSHA.

For the third quarter of 2022, Dollar General reported an operating profit of $736 million, an increase of 10.5% from the same period in 2021.

A company spokesperson could not be reached for comment Friday.

Topics Workers' Compensation