Lessons From Dollar General's Workplace Safety Violations: Proactive Safety Always Wins

The recent news of Dollar General entering settlement talks with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) highlights the vital importance of being proactive about workplace safety. Businesses must learn from Dollar General's mistakes and place employee well-being at the forefront of their priorities. Furthermore, it's essential to acknowledge the importance of workers' proactive involvement in safety management and enhancing hazard recognition and communication.

Over the past 20 years, various studies have underlined the significance of workforce participation in safety management. These contributions emphasize the positive impact that individuals and teams can have on achieving desired safety levels. The concept of proactive safety orientation emerged within this framework, encompassing a broad set of psychological orientations by individuals focused on managing safety issues, preventing injuries, and improving workplace safety conditions.

Furthermore, improving hazard recognition and communication is crucial for effective safety management. Employers can adopt several strategies, such as pre-task safety meetings, job hazard analyses, and safety planning sessions. In these activities, workers collaboratively identify and communicate hazards associated with tasks to enhance situational awareness for all crew members. This collaborative approach is particularly important when workers with diverse experiences, safety knowledge levels, and hazard recognition abilities work together.

It has been proven that groups that communicate safety information more effectively experience fewer injuries than those with restricted safety information exchange. Factors that may hinder the free flow of safety information include ineffective communication channels, differences in language proficiency (e.g., language barriers among workers with diverse cultures and language proficiency), and poor safety climate such as work productivity pressures, information overload, and poor attitudes among workers and management toward safety issues.

When hazards remain unrecognized, workers may be unable to adopt responsive and effective hazard management techniques, leading to a higher likelihood of injuries.

There are a few key lessons that can be gleaned from the Dollar General case:

• Prioritize employee safety from the outset by establishing safety protocols before issues arise and demonstrate commitment to employee well-being.
• Regularly review and refine safety programs and make improvements as needed, including training, communication and accountability measures.
• Empower employees to be actively involved in safety initiatives, report potential hazards, and participate in decision-making processes.
• Encouraging open communication and a willingness to address issues as they arise are crucial for maintaining a safe work environment. Employees are often the first to notice safety hazards and can provide valuable input for improving workplace conditions.
• Enhance hazard recognition and communication by adopting strategies like pre-task safety meetings, job hazard analyses, and safety planning sessions.
• Strike a balance between growth and safety to ensure long-term success and prioritize employee well-being. Profitability should never come at the expense of safety.

Had Dollar General adopted a proactive approach to workplace safety, incorporating workforce participation in safety management and emphasizing hazard recognition and communication, it could have potentially avoided its current legal predicament and associated financial penalties.

Moreover, investing in employee well-being through proactive safety measures could have significantly bolstered Dollar General's reputation as a responsible employer. A strong safety record and employee-centric approach to operations would have not only protected the well-being of its workforce but also positioned the company as a leader in its industry. In turn, this positive reputation could have attracted top talent, increased employee satisfaction and retention, and contributed to sustainable, long-term success.

Considering these potential benefits, it becomes even more apparent that Dollar General's reactive approach to safety concerns ultimately cost the company far more than just monetary fines.

Toni-Louise Gianatti is content manager for Soter Analytics, a global safety science company producing artificial intelligence-supported wearable solutions that reduce the risk of ergonomic injuries.