Family Dollar Stores of Texas faces a nearly $300,000 fine for endangering workers at its Van, Texas, location.
Courtesy / Family Dollar/Dollar TreeFamily Dollar Stores of Texas faces a fine of nearly $300,000 for endangering employees at its Van location.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the store put workers at risk by letting merchandise block exits and walkways, stacking boxes at unsafe heights and failing to provide quick access to fire extinguishers. OSHA’s inspection report said the store also exposed its employees to burn and inhalation hazards by blocking exits with full platform trucks and boxes.
Family Dollar did not respond to interview requests from The Dallas Morning News. The company can contest the proposed fine for what OSHA described as three repeat safety violations.
OSHA regulations require exit routes to be free and unobstructed. According to the department, no materials or equipment may be placed, either permanently or temporarily, within an exit route.
In announcing the proposed $294,657 fine, OSHA’s Dallas regional administrator Eric Harbin said safety has become a lingering issue for Family Dollar stores. Family Dollar is part of the Dollar Tree chain, which recorded sales exceeding $28 billion last year.
“The hazards we find at Dollar Tree stores have become a recurring theme,” Harbin said. “The safety conditions that exist at some of these stores create the potential for tragic consequences in an emergency. Dollar Tree Inc. has a legal obligation to provide workers with a safe and healthful workplace by making certain exits and walkways are never blocked.”
Safety inspectors said their findings in this investigation were similar to a 2022 case where a Family Dollar store in Mount Pleasant was fined $254,478 for stacking boxes at an unsafe height and blocking exits. Since 2017, OSHA has inspected 500 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores. According to the department, OSHA inspectors identified over 300 violations at the discount stores.
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