Monthly Archives: June 2014

OSHA Proposes $217,000 in Fines for Dollar Tree

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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $217,000 in fines for Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., following an inspection performed at a location in Missoula in November of 2013. OSHA cited Dollar Tree with four violations, which were comprised of three willful and one repeat violation. These fines come on the heals of three other citations in April, which carried penalties of $143,000.

“This employer’s extensive history of ignoring basic safety standards establishes a clear pattern of intentional and complete disregard for employee safety,” said Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in Billings. “Employers have an obligation to keep their workers safe, and Dollar Tree keeps failing to do that.”

The history of citations for Dollar Tree comes from inspections held at different stores all across the country, showing that retailers need to be cognizant of conditions and standards at every location. If you have multiple locations, they can, and will, be inspected by OSHA, and if they are not all following proper procedures, your company can, and will, be heavily fined.

If you have recently been through an inspection at one of your retail locations, it is important that you have all of your facilities audited by a qualified third party, and that you review the entirety of your health and safety procedures, to ensure you will not be dinged in a follow up inspection.

If you have any questions about how retail inspections work, or if you need help updating your procedures, please contact us and we will help you. If you have anything to add about the importance of maintaining all retail stores under your company’s ownership, please leave a comment.

Software That Helps Maintain Lockout Tagout Procedures

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After you go through the headache of establishing lockout tagout procedures, it is important to have a procedure or plan of some kind in place to maintain those procedures. OSHA very heavily regulates lockout tagout procedures, and they can, and will, update their policies if needed to maintain the safest possible work environment.

OSHA regulates lockout tagout procedures with Standard 1910.147, which is often considered one of the most difficult standards to understand and comply with. It is no surprise, then, that even properly created lockout tagout procedures are often quickly out of compliance due to either regulatory changes or changes to a company’s structure. And the unfortunate truth is that most companies monitor and maintain their lockout tagout procedures in-house with a woefully understaffed and unprepared safety team.

To help employers maintain the safest possible workplace, while keeping a mindful eye to OSHA regulations, we at PF Safety have created software specifically designed to maintain your lockout tagout procedures. It is fully customizable, fully scalable, and will help you monitor both changes at your company and regulatory changes. You remain in control of your lockout tagout procedures, with the ability to update your machinery or personnel anywhere there is an internet connection, while still being provided the support of a premier lockout tagout auditing firm.

If you have any questions about our Factory Solutions Software and how it could streamline your lockout tagout procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the importance of proper maintenance of your lockout tagout procedures, please leave a comment.