Learn How This Major Retail Company Received More Than 100 OSHA Violations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced last month that they are placing Dollar General in their “Severe Violator Enforcement Program” which is reserved for businesses who repeatedly or willfully violate workplace health and safety standards. Since January 2017, Dollar General has been fined more than $15 million by OSHA.  

Physical Safety Violations

According to a report from the New York Times, OSHA inspectors have found 111 safety violations across the country’s 270 most popular Dollar General stores. These violations include fire exits being blocked by merchandise, aisles being overcrowded and obstructed, and boxes stacked as high as the ceiling.  

Douglas Parker, the Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA said, "What we have found time and time again at Dollar General stores is that there are obvious, preventable hazards that are putting workers at risk.”  

OSHA informed the New York Times that on most follow-up inspections, the problems are not fixed.  

The SVEP program was formally reserved for companies that were known to expose their workers to extreme safety hazards such as those in the construction and manufacturing industries, but Dollar General became the first retail company to join the program after it was expanded in September of 2022. 

A Costly Mistake

Last week, Dollar General entered talks with OSHA regarding a settlement with the agency, something the company has only recently agreed to. In the last five years, they have already been fined more than $15 million by the agency.  

In addition, the SVEP program allows OSHA to conduct inspections of Dollar General locations “at random.”  

A Dollar General spokesperson told CNBC that they conduct employee safety training programs and work to correct the mistakes when they learn about them. “We regularly review and refine our safety programs, and reinforce them through training, ongoing communication, recognition and accountability.”  

Where Kokomo24/7® Comes In 

Many of the workplace safety protocols that Dollar General was found to be violating were not fixed due to poor incident management strategy on the part of the company. With more than 100 violations, Dollar General fell behind schedule when it came to fixing the physical safety problems in some of its most popular locations as complaints got lost in the shuffle and began piling up.  

Kokomo24/7® software like our Incident Management tools allow employees and employers to better track and manage safety violations in the workplace. Companies can also leverage our communications tools to send task lists or work assignments to specific people or departments to help ensure work is followed up on. Our robust, yet easy-to-use software platform streamlines the complex task of both reporting and managing incidents in the workplace as they arise, leading to better management of expected and unexpected problems.  

Ever since Kokomo24/7® was founded in 2018, we have been a leader in compliance and risk management solutions for all things health and safety. Kokomo24/7® proudly serves schools, communities, and workplaces. Our mission is to deliver highly effective, easy-to-use, and trusted compliance and risk management solutions that bridge the gap between public safety and technology.  

Whether you work for a large or small organization, small school, a big-city public district, or any institution in between, we want to hear from you. To learn more about Kokomo24/7® or to get a free 15-minute demo click the button below.