Dollar Tree store workers across the country continue to face the same hazardous working conditions at the national discount chain as they have for many years. Since 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has inspected company locations more than 300 times.
Following an October 2020 inspection at a Dollar Tree store in Beverly Hills, Florida, OSHA determined that the company exposed workers to fire, entrapment and struck-by hazards, blocked exit routes, and improperly stacked boxes and other materials that might fall and injure workers. OSHA proposed $265,265 in penalties.
Since 2018, inspections at Dollar Tree Stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee have resulted in proposed penalties of more than $1.3 million. Nationwide, Dollar Tree inspections in the past five years have resulted in proposed penalties of more than $9.3 million.
“Dollar Tree Stores have a history of not taking the safety of its workers and customers seriously,” said OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida. “Until appropriate precautions are taken to protect their employees from these well-known and frequent hazards, OSHA will continue to hold them accountable.”
Additional information about OSHA requirements for keeping exits clear is available in the agency’s Emergency Exit Routes fact sheet. OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs includes information on how to identify and assess hazards in the workplace.
The company 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.
Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, Dollar Tree Inc. is a leading operator of discount variety stores, serving North America for more than 30 years. The company employs about 193,000 associates, and operates stores under the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada brands.
