Dollar Tree ‘willfully and repeatedly’ breaking safety laws, OSHA says

Dollar Tree is in hot water with federal regulators over hundreds of safety violations at its discount stores in recent years.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Thursday the latest safety violations at a Dollar Tree store in Texas that is being fined $262,500 for blocking fire exits and other safety violations.

“Allowing boxes weighing up to 45 pounds to be haphazardly stacked in the storage room exposes workers to crushing injuries,” said Jack Rector, OSHA’s area director in Fort Worth. “Failing to correct this violation and other hazards, including blocked exits, puts worker safety in jeopardy – and that is unacceptable.”

OSHA noted this is part of a pattern of Dollar Tree stores around the country “willfully and repeatedly” breaking safety laws and placing employees and customers in danger.

Since 2009, Dollar Tree stores have been cited for 234 safety violations, including dozens in the past year.

“This latest incident yet again demonstrates the company’s deliberate and ongoing refusal to effectively address hazards that have been cited multiple times at their stores across the country,” said David Michaels, assistant secretary of Labor for the agency. “OSHA will not tolerate such blatant disregard for worker safety.”