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OSHA fines Dollar Tree $262,500 for safety violations at Texas store

Posted On: Oct. 16, 2014 12:00 AM CST

OSHA fines Dollar Tree $262,500 for safety violations at Texas store

Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree Inc. is facing $262,500 in fines from the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration because of alleged safety violations at a Texas Dollar Tree store, and has received more than $800,000 in safety-related fines in the last five months, OSHA said in a statement Thursday.

“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,” David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, said in the statement. “OSHA will not tolerate such blatant disregard for worker safety.”

Dollar Tree is contesting OSHA’s recent citations, the company said in a statement to Business Insurance.

“Our company is committed to maintaining a safe workplace environment for each of our associates,” the statement reads.

OSHA said a Dollar Tree store in Watauga, Texas was cited for allegedly failing to make sure that exit doors were kept clear and unobstructed and that products were stored in a stable and secure manner. The administration also alleges that the store failed to secure compressed gas cylinders and prevent blocking of portable fire extinguishers and electrical panels.

“OSHA has received complaints from Dollar Tree Stores employees in 26 states since 2009, and it has cited the company for 234 safety violations in that time period,” the administration’s statement said. “This includes willful violations found during 2014 inspections in Delaware, Massachusetts and Montana.”

Dollar Tree has about 17,600 full-time and 69,800 part-time workers nationwide, according to OSHA.