(The Center Square) – The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has fined Dollar Tree $132,000, alleging worker safety violations.
“We’re seeing the same safety violations at Dollar Tree stores over and over again,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director of L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, in a news release. “This is a national problem as well.”
L&I fined Dollar Tree for safetyviolations at its Tacoma Central Plaza store, claiming inspectors found safety hazards including blocked emergency exits, improperly-stacked boxes and debris on the floor. Dollar Tree has appealed the citation.
“We are focused on maintaining a safe environment for our associates and customers and ensuring our stores comply with all health and safety regulations,” Kristin Tetreault, Dollar Tree chief communications officer, said in a statement to The Center Square.
Inspectors took photos showing boxes allegedly stacked more than six feet high risking collapse, according to the news release. They also found debris on the storeroom and aisle floors.
The inspection brought three “repeat willful” violations, meaning a business repeatedly risks employees when it knows or should have known safety standards.
Improperly-stored merchandise can fall on employees causing serious injury or death, lifting heavy boxes onto high piles can cause “strains and sprains or serious back injuries” and exits blocked by boxes are dangerous during emergencies, according to the news release. Inspectors found these issues occur when stores have too much inventory and not enough storage.
The penalty money will go to the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which aims to help injured workers and families of those who die on the job.
L&I has labeled Dollar Tree a “severe violator,” so it can inspect the stores at any time. The department has inspected the company’s stores more than 30 times in the last four years, bringing more than $1 million total in fines.
“Even after multiple large fines, it appears Dollar Tree has not gotten the message that they need to take sustained, comprehensive steps to keep their workers safe,” Blackwood said.
State and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration agencies found more than 300 violations at Dollar Tree stores since 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Oregon OSHA fined Dollar Tree $37,500 in July for similar violations to those in Tacoma, and federal OSHA fined the company more than $1.2 million last year after inspecting two of its Ohio locations.
“We take the issues identified in our Tacoma store seriously, remediate them as quickly as possible and continue to enhance our safety program and protocols,” Tetreault said.
