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Dollar General store in Georgia cited again for fire hazards

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Dollar General store in Georgia cited again for fire hazards

Dollar General Corp. has been cited again by federal health and safety regulators for fire hazards such as blocked emergency exits.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based discount retailer for one serious and two repeat safety violations, the agency said Thursday in a statement.

The serious citation was related to entrapment hazards due to obstructions in aisles leading to exit doors, according to the citations. The repeat citations were for exposing workers to fire hazards by blocking emergency exits and fire extinguishers with merchandise and utility carts, which the agency previously cited the company for at the same Bowdon, Georgia, store in March 2015.

Dollar General is facing proposed penalties totaling $69,300 for the latest violations, according to the citations.

Company locations have been inspected and cited more than 50 times by OSHA in the last five years for violations such as blocked exits and electrical panels and improperly maintained fire extinguishers, according to the agency.

“Dollar General continues to expose workers to safety hazards previously identified at this location and found at other locations throughout the country,” Christi Griffin, OSHA's area director in the Atlanta-West office, said in a statement. “This is a clear indication that management is not sharing safety and health information throughout the corporation to protect its employees.”

Dollar General responded to the citations with a statement on Monday. "In keeping with its commitment to promote a safe and welcoming environment for both its employees and customers, Dollar General is working with field teams at its Bowden, Georgia location to provide continual store training and education to address OSHA's cited violations," the statement said.

"Dollar General is further working with all store teams throughout the 43 states we serve to provide additional training on safety protocols to reinforce the company's safety policies and procedures."

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