Orlando Family Dollar Store Cited for Emergency Exit Hazard, Obstructed Pathway
Following a worker’s death, the store was cited for willful and repeat violations.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jul 26, 2022
A Family Dollar store in Orlando was cited following a worker’s death.
According to a press release, a worker was trying to stop a shoplifter from leaving the Orlando store in December 2021. After, the worker reported “shortness of breath and nausea.” The worker later died at the hospital.
OSHA cited the Family Dollar store for a willful violation for a locked emergency exit with only one key and two repeat violations for an obstructed pathway and aisles. OSHA proposed $330,446 in penalties.
The agency also “issued a hazard alert letter for exposing employees to hazardous conditions associated with workplace violence.” The company is encouraged to train workers on handling robberies and provide a way for workers to call for help, the press release said.
"Family Dollar has shown time and again that their priority is profits, not their employees. Our inspection revealed multiple unsafe conditions that management should have addressed, including locked doors and blocked exits," said OSHA Area Office Director Sarah Carle in Orlando, Florida, in the press release. "Tragically, someone lost their life as a result of an altercation. Incidents such as this can be averted when workers are trained on a violence prevention program that empowers them to recognize and avoid risks on the job."
Family Dollar is owned by Dollar Tree. The company has over 193,000 workers in the U.S.
Photo credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.