‘A Disturbing Trend:’ OSHA Finds Obstructed Exit Routes and Boxes, Merchandise Stacked in Unsafe Manner at Alabama Dollar Tree

‘A Disturbing Trend:’ OSHA Finds Obstructed Exit Routes and Boxes, Merchandise Stacked in Unsafe Manner at Alabama Dollar Tree

The discount retailer’s string of citations continues with proposed penalties of $171K after a recent inspection.

  • By Alex Saurman
  • Feb 08, 2023

Just a week after its most recent OSHA citation, Dollar Tree has been cited again.

Following an inspection at a store in Florence, Alabama, OSHA cited Dollar Tree after it found exit routes obstructed by “a dumpster, wheeled carts and a moveable conveyer belt,” and boxes and merchandise stacked in an unsafe manner, according to a news release. This July 2022 inspection resulted in citations for three repeat violations and proposed penalties of $171,886.

“In the event of a fire or other emergency, seconds matter. The inability of employees and others to exit a store quickly and safely could have very serious consequences,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta in the news release.

In what OSHA calls a “disturbing trend,” the violations identified at the store in July 2022 mirror those found in other Dollar Tree stores in the past, according to a news release.

“The company’s repeated and continued disregard for human safety suggests the company thinks profits matter more than people,” Petermeyer continued.

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.

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