HARDWICK – Dollar General reopened Monday, Sept. 16, after being closed over the weekend and at least since Friday, to correct problems identified by a state fire marshal, according to an employee.
A September 14, Facebook post by David Pudvah started a lively exchange when he wrote, “….dollar general Hardwick, VT closed until further notice. Not again ugh,” following his post with eye rolling, wow and crying emojis.” Annmarie Putvain replied, “Not surprised, closed more than it’s opened.”
A rolling cart in the aisle at Hardwick’s Dollar General store on Monday afternoon, Sept. 16 narrows the aisle for shoppers. To the left, an additional cart contains dairy products, also narrowing that aisle.
Shoppers report merchandise was blocking aisles, creating a safety and fire hazard.
A state fire marshal was unable to comment and referred questions to the store manager. An inquiry to the store manager resulted in a referral to the corporate office and an accusation that earlier inquiries had been an abuse of store staff.
The company has repeatedly been fined by OSHA for worker safety and health violations. Last year, OSHA expanded its “Severe Violator Enforcement Program” to include companies that willfully or repeatedly violate safety regulations. Dollar General was the first company to be added to the expanded program, the New York Times reported.
Dollar General opened its first Vermont store in 2006. There are now 36 Vermont stores. It is the largest retailer in the U.S, with over 19,400 stores, leading Dollar Tree with 16,440 locations, while Walmart is the leading retailer in sales, with just over 5,300 stores.
Merchandise and a blue plastic Adirondack chair outside the exterior of the Dollar General store on Route 14 South in Hardwick obstruct the store’s entryway Monday, Sept. 16. A refrigerated Dollar General tractor trailer to the left rear delivers additional stock.
On July 11, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a settlement with Dollar General requiring corporate-wide safety investments in stores nationwide and imposing a $12 million fine.
A key piece of the agreement requires “Significantly reducing inventory and increasing stocking efficiency to prevent blocked exits and unsafe material storage.”
“This agreement commits Dollar General to making worker safety a priority by implementing significant and systematic changes in its operations to improve accountability and compliance, and it gives Dollar General employees essential input on ensuring their own health and safety,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas L. Parker. “These changes help give peace of mind to thousands of workers, knowing that they are not risking their safety in their workplaces and that they will come home healthy at the end of each day.”
The agreement also requires Dollar General to ensure prompt abatement of any future violations related to blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels and improper material storage at its stores during the agreement term. The company must correct such hazards — generally within 48 hours — and submit proof they corrected hazards. Failure to do so subjects Dollar General to monetary assessments of $100,000 per day of violation, up to $500,000, as well as OSHA inspection and enforcement actions.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
