Costly Fines for Safety Violations Emphasize the Need for Diligence

Failure for facility managers to properly maintain the cleanliness and safety of their stores can create serious consequences for both customers and employees.

But recently, an announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  illustrates just how costly such negligence could be for the store’s ownership as well. According to OSHA, twice in the period of a year, a Dollar General store has been cited by federal authorities for endangering its workers’ safety — and it’s going to cost them. OSHA is proposing penalties of US$136,741 against Dollar General’s Greencastle, Pennsylvania, location.

According to OSHA, Tennessee-based Dollar General Corp., which operates more than 18,000 stores in 46 states, has had a long history of federal workplace safety violations and penalties nationwide.

But Dollar General is not alone in its inability to keep their stores free from costly safety violations. In March 2022, Business Insider reported that competitor Dollar Tree was fined $32,000 by the Oregon OSHA authority for not cleaning up a cluttered store, which state officials said posed a dangerous threat to its employees.

Dollar General has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.