The U.S. Department of Labor recently fined Dollar Tree Inc. $254,478 for allegedly unsafe working conditions following an inspection last fall at the company’s Mount Pleasant, Texas, store.
The September 7 inspection report said that merchandise and piles of boxes “high enough to fall on workers” were blocking exits and walkways in the store. The report also noted that storerooms, passageways, and service rooms were not kept clean.
The fine was issued on Thursday by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“In the event of an emergency, workers and others must have fast and safe access to unblocked exit routes,” said Dallas-based OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin. “Our inspectors found merchandise and other equipment blocking walkways and an emergency exit, this time in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Retailers like Dollar Tree that fail to make sure their stores’ storage areas are organized and safe are endangering everyone who works and shops there.”
The Labor Department alleged that Dollar Tree has demonstrated a “pattern of disregard” for employee safety since 2017. Since then, there have been 300 violations reported at 500 inspections of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores by federal and state OSHA programs, the Department of Labor reported.
Dollar Tree is the parent company of Family Dollar.
Now, the company is tasked with responding to safety citations.
“Dollar Tree Inc. has 15 business 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 independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission,” said department officials.
Dollar Tree operates a total of 16,000 stores with more than 193,000 employees. These stores stretch across 48 states and five Canadian provinces and produced $7.7 billion in gross profit in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Labor press release.