Dollar General has $21M in unpaid safety violation fines

Dollar General is sitting on $21 million in unpaid fines related to safety violations, reports business news site The Messenger.

Since 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has conducted over 240 Dollar General inspections, which have resulted in several penalties for the discount retailer.

The store violations are often similar in nature — clutter blocking fire exits and outlets, and merchandise stacked too high. In October 2022, Dollar General was added to OSHA’s “Severe Violator Enforcement Program,” a label given to repeat violators that have safety issues which have not been addressed.

Dollar General’s latest inspection fail occurred in early June at a store in Lamesa, Texas. A safety inspection found exit routes and walkways blocked and merchandise unsafely stacked — conditions that, according to the inspection, exposed employees and others to fire hazards and potential injuries.

OSHA previously issued citations to this same store for four repeat violations and proposed over $294,000 in penalties after an inspection in December 2022.