Unsafe work conditions found in 6 North Dakota Dollar General stores

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor uncovered workplace safety failures at six Dollar General stores in North Dakota and proposed a $2.5 million penalty as a result.

Federal workplace safety inspectors found unsafe work conditions at stores located in Casselton, Garrison, Hillsboro, Killdeer, Minot and Tioga, according to a Tuesday, May 23 report from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The stores were among nine Dollar General shops nationwide that failed safety inspections in late 2022. A store in Maine, Ohio and Wisconsin were all cited.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began inspections of the North Dakota stores in late October 2022 after concerns from state fire marshals at four locations and complaints at two other stores.

Inspectors found exit routes, doors, fire extinguishers and electrical panels blocked and unsafely stacked merchandise, according to the report.

OSHA inspectors at the Minot store learned at least six store employees suffered exposure to toxic vapors — three of whom sought medical treatment — after several chemical containers ruptured and their contents mixed in December 2022, the report said.

Between the two-month investigation that ended in December, OSHA identified 32 violations in North Dakota and proposed the $2.5 million penalty.

The penalty is part of a $3.4 million total proposed by OSHA following the late 2022 inspections. It adds to the more than $21 million in fines the department has proposed for Dollar General since 2017 after conducting 240 inspections at stores nationwide, according to the report.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent

Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

, the report concluded.