OSHA Cites Dollar Tree Store for Safety Hazards
Beverly Hills, FL Dollar Tree was cited $265,265 in penalties.
- By Shereen Hashem
- Apr 30, 2021
Dollar Tree workers have been exposed to hazardous working environments in stores across the country for years. OSHA hasn’t turned a blind eye. Since 2016, the administration inspected company locations more than 300 times.
An October inspection in 2020 at a Dollar Tree store in Beverly Hills, Florida found the company exposed workers to fire, entrapment and struck-by hazards, blocked exit routes, improperly stacked boxes and other materials that may fall and injure workers. OSHA proposed $265,265 in penalties.
Nationwide, Dollar Tree inspections resulted in proposed penalties of more than $9.3 million in solely the past five years. More than $1.3 million coming from Dollar Tree stores in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee since 2018.
“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.”
The company has 15 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 Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Information on OSHA’s requirements for keeping exits clear is on the Emergency Exit Routes fact sheet. To assess hazards in the workplace, visit OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs page.
About the Author
Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.