DOLLAR TREE STORES, INC
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, DOLLAR TREE STORES, INC — a retail trade facility located at 3603 SILVERSIDE ROAD, WILMINGTON, DE 19810 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 3 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $84,980.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-10-22.
Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $84,980.00 is more than 13.1× the national average of $6,467.77 for facilities in the Retail sector (NAICS 453998). This sector encompasses 10,854 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $70.2M.
State Context: Within DE, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 5,902 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $4,743.73.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 3 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 1 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.
Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning April 21, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 25, 2014. Of the 3 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.
Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $28,326.67 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.
The enforcement action against this Dollar Tree location underscores a chronic failure to manage inventory flow and backroom logistics, a hallmark of the retailer’s historical compliance struggles. The assessment of a Willful violation under 1910.037(a)(3) for obstructed