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As holiday shopping nears its peak, federal workplace safety inspectors have once again found Dollar Tree Stores Inc. — one of the nation’s largest discount retailers — exposing workers at Matteson, IA. Illinois, at the risk of insecurely stored and stacked boxes of merchandise and jammed electrical panels.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the Dollar Tree store at 4840 W. 211 St. for the following repeat violations found during a June 8, 2022 inspection:
- Rolling carts, large boxes, and merchandise in the store block aisles and work areas, creating slip, trip, fall, and fire hazards.
- Unsecured and unstable freight stacked at heights greater than 6 feet, exposing workers to the risk of being struck by falling crates.
- Electrical panels clogged with stacked goods creating electrical and fire hazards.
OSHA proposed $364,661 in penalties.
This latest inspection continues Dollar Tree Stores long history of workplace safety inspection failures. Since 2017, federal and state OSHA programs have found more than 300 violations in more than 500 inspections at stores operated as Dollar Tree and Family Dollar by Dollar Tree Inc. Inspectors typically find escape routes, dangerously clogged or blocked fire extinguishers and electrical panels; dangerous walking and working areas; and unsafely stacked goods.
“Dollar Tree continues to ignore hazards that put their workers and others at risk of injury or worse,” James Martineck, director of occupational safety and health for the Chicago South Region, told Tinley. Park, Illinois. “Too often, our inspectors find similar dangers in Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores that overlook employee safety in favor of profits. Ultimately, it must stop before someone is seriously injured or unable to get out safely in an emergency.
Founded in 1986, Dollar Tree Inc. is a leading operator of over 16,000 discount variety stores across North America in 48 states and five Canadian provinces. Based in Chesapeake, Virginia, the company is supported by a nationwide logistics network and has more than 193,000 employees. A publicly traded company, Dollar Tree Inc. reported gross profit of $7.7 billion in 2021.
Dollar Tree Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA Regional Manager, or challenge the findings before the Independent Safety Review Board and occupational health.
Topics
workers compensation
Commercial lines
Business Insurance
Illinois
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