Dollar Tree Settles with OSHA for $825 Million

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Dollar Tree Stores Inc. have reached an agreement to settle all pending safety and health citations, with the Virginia-based firm set to pay $825 million in penalties resulting from 13 different inspections. Dollar Tree, which operates 2,400 stores under different brands, including Dollar Tree, Deals and Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada, is required to address safety hazards including improper material storage, obstructed access to electrical equipment and blocked emergency exits.

The agreement settles several citations and requires the firm to develop as well as implement an extensive workplace safety program in line with OSHA’s safety and health program management guidelines. The company also agreed to publish a corporate newsletter that covers safety and health issues.

New Safety Programs and Safeguarding Controls

Dollar Tree will permit a third party to inspect 50 of its stores during the 2-year agreement. The third party will share its findings and recommendations with respective store managers who will be tasked with the responsibility of correcting all identified issues within 21 days. Additionally, Dollar Tree will be required to internally inspect its stores for 3 years, work with OSHA in monitoring implementation of the agreement as well as encouraging its employees to make use of a new toll-free number to anonymously report any safety and health issues.

Dollar Tree will also initiate measures such as prohibiting the storing or stacking of materials or equipment in a manner that would obstruct access to electrical equipment or emergency exits and requiring passage to electrical equipment and emergency exits be at least 28 inches wide. The firm is also required to implement procedures that enable managers at different levels to request storage containers to store items in a manner that allows free and easy access to emergency exits and electrical equipment. Lastly, the agreement requires the company to review delivery, unloading and personnel systems in order to ensure the placement of received merchandise in designated storage or sales areas doesn’t create storage hazards nor obstruct access to exits and electrical equipment.

Deadlines

Dollar Tree has 90 days from the date the agreement takes effect to implement the new changes at all new stores open after the full execution of the agreement, and 180 days to implement the changes at the already existing stores. The firm’s program will incorporate employee participation, management commitment, education and training of employees, program evaluation, hazard identification and control as well as education and training of the company’s multi-level managers.

In accordance with OSHA, every employer is responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees. OSHA’s prime role is to ensure that America’s working men and women are provided with good working conditions by enforcing standards, providing training and education and also assistance.