Dollar Tree faces nearly $800K in workplace safety fines in Rhode Island

Dollar Tree is facing more than $770,000 in proposed penalties after investigators found unsafe working conditions at two stores in Rhode Island, according to an announcement Monday from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA inspectors, responding to reports of unsafe conditions at the stores, found exits blocked with “large piles of materials,” boxes stacked up to 7 feet high, limited access to fire extinguishers and improperly labeled and stored helium compressed gas cylinders.

The agency cited the East Providence store for three repeat violations, with $319,220 in proposed fines, and the Pawtucket location for four repeat violations, with $450,916.

“Providing employees with clearly recognized and legally required safeguards, such as unimpeded exit access, properly stored materials and readily available fire extinguishers, must be a priority for any employer and should not be ignored,” OSHA’s Providence Area Director Robert Sestito said in a statement.

Dollar Tree has 15 days following the receipt of the citations to comply or request a conference with OSHA, the agency said.

Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores have received more than 300 safety violations following more than 500 inspections since 2017, OSHA said.

The retailer operates more than 16,000 stores in 48 states and five Canadian provinces. The company employes more than 200,000 people.

Dollar Tree competitor Dollar General has also faced mounting workplace safety issues. Last month, the New York Times reported that the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based discounter was the first company to be added to the newly expanded version of the Labor Department’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program after years of safety citations that have led to more than $16 million in OSHA penalties since 2017.

From Feb. 1, 2022, through March 13 of this year, OSHA assessed the retailer with nearly $8.5 million in penalties following 27 Dollar General inspections in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

“Dollar General’s growing record of disregard for safety measures makes it abundantly clear that the company puts profit before people,” OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta said in a statement in January. “These violations are preventable, and failing to prevent them shows a blatant disregard for the workers on whom they depend to keep their stores operating. OSHA continues to make every effort to hold Dollar General accountable for its failures.”

On Thursday, OSHA added $401,812 in newly proposed penalties for Dollar General after inspectors found unsafe conditions at a store in Winter Garden, Florida, the agency said.

Issues included exits blocked by shelving, rolling containers and merchandise, as well as tripping hazards and items stacked in an unstable manner.

Dollar General has contested the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, OSHA noted.