Dollar General agrees to pay $12 million fine to settle alleged workplace safety violations

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Labor says Dollar General has agreed to pay a $12 million fine and improve conditions at its thousands of retail stores nationwide to make them safer for workers. The discount retailer and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached the settlement to resolve alleged violations that included unsafe storage, blocked emergency exits and fire extinguishers, and inaccessible electrical panels. The deal announced on Thursday requires Dollar General to significantly reduce inventory and improve stocking to prevent such hazards. The company also must hire more safety managers. The agreement covers all of the Goodlettsville, Tennessee, company’s 20,000 stores in the U.S. with the exception of its pOpshelf locations.