Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Settle with OSHA Over Nationwide Violations

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Settle with OSHA Over Nationwide Violations

The retail giants face penalties of $1.35 million to enhance store safety.

  • By Robert Yaniz Jr.
  • Aug 25, 2023

Two leading U.S. discount chains, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, have entered into a pivotal settlement with OSHA.

In a release dated August 23, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the agreement which requires Dollar Tree and Family Dollar to address and remediate recurrent safety violations at numerous stores within the next two years. As part of a settlement for existing and open inspections, the companies also collectively agreed to pay $1.35 million in penalties.

In this new corporate-wide agreement, OSHA calls for immediate corrections to violations, such as blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels and improper material storage, within 48 hours of the agency's notification. Failure to meet compliance standards will result in penalties of $100,000 per day, up to $500,000.

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have also committed to establishing safety advisory groups, enhancing hazard detection, initiating an audit system, launching a new training module and recruiting additional safety personnel. Dollar Tree will also introduce a 24/7 safety hotline and a tracking system for complaints. Regular quarterly reviews with OSHA will track their progress.

“By securing this agreement with Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, the department is making good on President Biden’s commitment to be the most pro-worker administration in history,” the DOL’s Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement. “Through our robust enforcement of workplace protections and use of innovative legal methods that resulted in this agreement, thousands of workers will have a healthier, safer and more certain future.”

The deal has the potential to make a wide-reaching impact. The Virginia-based Dollar Tree Inc., which owns both chains, runs more than 16,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores across 48 U.S. states and Canada, employing over 193,000 people. OSHA previously came to an agreement with the company in 2015, but that deal concluded in 2018.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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