Dollar General Enhances Workplace Safety Through Settlement AgreementDollar General Enhances Workplace Safety Through Settlement Agreement The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a comprehensive nationwide agreement with Dollar General and its retail subsidiaries to prioritize workplace safety in all of its stores. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas L. Parker emphasized the agreement’s focus on empowering employees to participate in ensuring their own safety. The company has committed to $12 million in fines and extensive operational changes to improve accountability and compliance. Key Improvements: * Establishing a robust safety structure with additional safety managers * Reducing inventory and improving storage efficiency to prevent blocked exits and unsafe material storage * Providing extensive safety training to all employees, including managers * Forming a safety and health committee with active employee involvement Enforcement and Oversight: The agreement requires Dollar General to swiftly address any future violations involving blocked exits, fire extinguisher access, and improper material storage. Failure to correct such hazards within 48 hours could result in monetary penalties of up to $500,000 per day of violation, as well as additional OSHA inspection and enforcement actions. To ensure compliance, Dollar General has retained an outside consultant and a third-party auditor to conduct regular safety assessments. A Safety Operations Center has been established to monitor store hazards and provide support. An anonymous hotline has also been created for employees and the public to report safety concerns. The agreement resolves ongoing federal OSHA inspections related to workplace hazards. Dollar General operates over 19,000 stores across the country and is headquartered in Tennessee. OSHA encourages businesses and workers to learn more about workplace safety by visiting their website.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has entered into an agreement Company-wide settlement with Dollar General and its retail subsidiaries to significantly improve workplace safety in stores across the country.
“This agreement obligates Dollar General to make worker safety a priority by implementing significant and systematic changes in its operations to improve accountability and compliance, and it gives Dollar General employees critical input to ensure their own health and safety,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas L. Parker. “These changes will help give thousands of employees peace of mind knowing that they are not compromising their safety in their workplaces and that they are coming home healthy at the end of each day.”
Dollar General agreed to pay $12 million in fines and implement company-wide changes that make the safety of its employees a priority. These improvements include the following:
- Establishing and maintaining a comprehensive safety structure and a robust safety and health management system, including hiring additional safety managers.
- Significantly reduce inventory and increase storage efficiency to prevent blocked exits and unsafe material storage.
- Providing safety and health training for both managerial and non-managerial employees.
- Establishing a safety and health committee and encouraging employee participation.
The agreement also requires Dollar General to promptly resolve any future violations involving blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels, and improper storage of materials in its stores during the term of the agreement. The company must correct such hazards — generally within 48 hours — and provide proof that it has corrected the hazards. Failure to do so will subject Dollar General to monetary penalties of $100,000 per day of violation, up to $500,000, as well as OSHA inspection and enforcement actions.
Dollar General has retained an outside consultant to identify hazards and analyze contributing factors throughout the company. Dollar General has also retained a third-party auditor to conduct annual unannounced compliance audits of all affected stores to assess egress, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels, electrical hazards and storage conditions. A new Safety Operations Center has also been established to monitor store hazards and support safety performance. An anonymous hotline has also been established for employees and the public to report safety concerns.
These actions are also requirements of the settlement agreement. Dollar General will monitor the results of these actions and provide quarterly reports to OSHA as part of the agreement.
This settlement resolves existing disputed and outstanding federal OSHA inspections involving alleged violations, such as blocked emergency exits, blocked electrical panels, blocked fire extinguishers, and unsafe storage.
Dollar General is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee and has more than 19,000 stores across the country.
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