Padlocks on Dollar General emergency exits ‘gamble with worker’s lives,’ feds say

Bike and barrel locks were used to lock emergency exit doors at two Dollar General stores, adding to the chain’s ongoing problem of “exposing workers to serious hazards,” according to federal authorities.

Now the two stores, one in Wisconsin and the other in Ohio, face a combined $580,108 in penalties proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to a June 3 news release.

OSHA visited the Baldwin, Wisconsin, location after a request from local fire officials in December 2021, officials said. When inspectors arrived, they found a bike lock and a board used to close and padlock the emergency exit doors from the inside. Merchandise boxes were also blocking the exit.

“In an emergency, these conditions would prevent workers and others from exiting the store through these emergency exits,” officials said.

Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on June 6.

Store managers reportedly said the doors “were frequently padlocked and blocked with a board while employees were present” because they needed repairs to close as designed, according to the news release. The door has needed repairs since September 2021, officials said.

Fire officials inspected the Dollar General store 11 times in 2021 and ordered the store to close “due to hazardous conditions” six times that year, officials said.

OSHA issued citations for blocking emergency routes, emergency exits and fire extinguishers, and for not leaving enough space around electrical panels. The Dollar General store faces $435,081 in proposed penalties.

A second Dollar General store in Seville, Ohio, was inspected by OSHA on Jan. 11, officials said. Inspectors found the double-door emergency exit was locked from the inside with barrel locks, “which requires special knowledge and additional time to open and might prevent a safe and quick exit in an emergency.”

The location received one citation and a $145,027 proposed fine.

“OSHA cites Dollar General stores frequently for exposing workers to serious hazards, including the use of locks at exits, which can be catastrophic in an emergency,” said OSHA Regional Administrator William Donovan in a statement. “This company’s willingness to gamble with workers’ lives is disturbing and must stop before tragedy strikes.”

The federal agency said Dollar General stores have received “numerous repeat and willful citations” nationwide since 2017. The company has more than 18,000 stores in 46 states.

“On several occasions, Dollar General Corp.’s Director of Risk Management Adam Zager has signed settlement agreements with OSHA, on behalf of the company, promising to resolve similar violations at its stores,” the news release said.

Each store has 15 business days from when it was notified of the citations to either comply, request a meeting with OSHA’s area directors, or contest the findings. The notification letters were issued May 26.

This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Padlocks on Dollar General emergency exits ‘gamble with worker’s lives,’ feds say."