Dollar General in Brooklyn, Mississippi, cited for repeat safety hazards; more than $51K in fines proposed

BROOKLYN, Miss. — Dollar General Corp. was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for four repeat safety violations following an August 2014 inspection at a retail store located on Highway 49 in Brooklyn. OSHA initiated the inspection in response to a complaint. Proposed penalties total $51,700.

"This is another example of a corporation not sharing safety information with all its employees. These violations have been cited previously in other Dollar General stores across the country," said Eugene Stewart, director of OSHA's Jackson Area Office. "The employer's failure to protect workers from basic fire and electrical hazards is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately throughout the company."

Repeat citations were issued for the employer's failure to ensure that exit routes, fire extinguishers and electrical access panels were not blocked by merchandise, display racks or supplies. Additionally, the employer failed to inspect portable fire extinguishers annually.

A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. This employer was previously cited for these same violations in 2010. Since 2009, OSHA has conducted 72 inspections of Dollar General nationwide. Of those inspections, 39 have resulted in citations.

Dollar General, headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, is a discount retailer that employs more than 90,000 workers nationwide. Workers are typically engaged in stocking shelves and selling merchandise. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Jackson Area Office at 601-965-4606.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.