VAIDEN — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $107,620 in penalties to Dollar General Corp. associated with five citations at the store in Vaiden.
However, negotiations between OSHA and Dollar General now are under way, according to OSHA spokes-person Lindsay Williams.
“The citations and penalty amount are still proposed until the case is resolved. These will be discussed during the settlement talks,” Williams said.
OSHA on April 8 issued citations following inspections of the store in January and November.
Of the penalties, $104,320 covers repeatedly creating fire hazards by blocking emergency exits and fire extinguishers with merchandise and utility carts. Dollar General also “failed to perform annual inspections on fire extinguishers and did not keep the area around electrical outlets unobstructed,” according to a press release from OSHA.
“The most serious citation related to exposing employees to electrical hazards from missing faceplates on electrical outlets,” according to the press release.
All of the hazards were corrected on the day of inspection.
Dollar General has 100,000 employees and 12,000 stores in 43 states. Since November 2010, the chain has been cited 155 times.
•Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7235 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
