Dollar General faces penalties after three of its Georgia locations, including one in Cobb County, were cited for dangerous working conditions.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $1,292,783 in penalties for violations at stores in Smyrna, Pembroke and Hogansville, according to a Monday news release. The workplace hazards were discovered during inspections in February and March.
The violations follow similar workplace hazard accusations at a Dalton store earlier this year. OSHA, the federal government agency that oversees workplace safety, accused the dollar store brand of valuing profit over its employees’ wellbeing.
“Dollar General continues to make it obvious that profit means more to them than the safety of their employees,” Doug Parker, OSHA’s assistant secretary for occupational safety and health, said in the release. “... OSHA will take all necessary enforcement actions and pursue all available remedies against Dollar General until it fixes the disconnect between its business model and worker safety.”
Inspectors said they found four willful violations and seven repeat violations during its most recent Georgia location visits. Those violations included exit routes being obstructed, boxes of merchandise being stacked unsafely and electrical panels being hard to access, the release said.
Dollar General told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution it “took immediate action to address issues and reiterated our safety expectations with store teams.
“The safety of our employees and customers is of paramount importance to us, and we will continue to work cooperatively with OSHA,” the emailed statement continued.
Dollar General, which is based in Goodlettsville, Tenn., operates roughly 17,000 stores and employs more than 150,000 workers across the country. It has faced multiple OSHA violations over the past few years, including more than $6.5 million in proposed penalties.
Dollar stores have expanded over the years, becoming popular stops for everyday goods while generating backlash and moratoriums in some jurisdictions, including DeKalb County.
Dollar General can either pay the fines, contest the citation or request a meeting with OSHA’s area director.
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