Family Dollar hit with fines of $1.2 million after being accused of 'flagrantly ignoring workplace safety regulations' at 2 Ohio stores

• Two Family Dollar stores have been fined $1.2 million for safety violations within their stores.
• The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the penalties.

Two Family Dollar stores in Ohio have been fined $1.2 million by federal regulators for safety violations and hazardous working conditions, Labor officials said.

The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the penalties on Monday.

Family Dollar has been owned by Dollar Tree since 2015.

The stores that have been fined are located in Maple Heights and Columbus. They were found to have "hazardous conditions" such as unsafe stacks of goods, blocked exits, and inaccessible fire extinguishers, according to OSHA.

The federal regulators accused Family Dollar of "flagrantly ignoring workplace safety regulations" and continuing to "expose employees to the risk of injuries."

Representatives for Family Dollar and Dollar Tree did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The inspection at both locations was triggered by an employee complaint about unsafe working conditions, the regulators said.

On January 31, the Maple Heights location was found to have one repeat violation and four willful violations, with the federal body suggesting fines of $685,777.

The following month, a store located on Lockbourne Road, Columbus, was inspected following an employee complaint of water leaking through the ceiling. The OSHA proposed $547,587 in penalties for one serious violation, one repeat violation, and four willful violations.

This is not the first time Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, have found themselves in hot water with OSHA.

Since 2017, OSHA said it has carried out more than 500 inspections at Family Dollar and Dollar Tree locations and found more than 300 violations.

The organization said it "repeatedly" and "routinely" found blocked or dangerously obstructed exits, fire extinguishers, and electric panels, unsafe working surfaces and walkways, and unstable stacks of merchandise.

Dough Parker, assistant secretary for occupational safety and health, accused Family Dollar and Dollar Tree of having "a long and disturbing history of putting profits above employee safety."

In February, Insider's Sam Tabahriti reported that Family Dollar was temporarily closing 404 stores after more than 1,000 dead rats were found in a distribution center.

Family Dollar has 15 business days to either pay or contest the fines that were announced by OSHA on Monday.