Store Employee Safety Handbook Letter from the CEO Dear Dollar General Employee: At Dollar General, our mission is to help our customers achieve a better life, provide our shareholders a superior return and give our employees respect and opportunity. Because you help bring our mission to life through the work you do at Dollar General, we want you to be safe and secure at work so that you can enjoy the fun and friendly environment we strive to offer our customers. In our industry, injury prevention can be challenging, but, because of your focus on working safely, we are making great improvements in reducing injuries at Dollar General. I know that we can do even better, and I look forward to the time when we have no Dollar General employees injured on the job. The Store Employee Safety Handbook, the training program you are about to review, is a tool that has been developed to take safety awareness and working safely to the next level. An injury-free workplace is possible but depends on your active and dedicated involvement each and every day. Many of the things you will learn through this training program, such as the importance of daily stretching and proper lifting techniques, can be applied outside of work as well. I hope that you find this information helpful and that you enjoy a fulfilling and injury-free work experience with Dollar General. Thank you for your commitment to safety. Sincerely, Rick Dreiling, CEO
Safety Program Dollar General is committed to providing a safe place to work. Tools to help with safety are the Store Employee Safety Handbook and the Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOP). Always refer to the SOP or talk with the store manager if you have questions or are unsure about any store safety issues. Your store should have posted a Safety Communication Poster. For safety reasons, it is important for employees to review and understand all posted material. Each month the store receives a monthly safety training newsletter. The store manager will review the newsletter with the team and post on the Safety Communication Poster. If you see a safety hazard, immediately correct the hazard or bring it to your manager s attention to have corrected. You have the right to report any safety hazard without fear of retaliation. You may also report hazards by calling the ERC at 1-888-237-4114, option 1. This handbook provides training on how to perform your job safely. All employees must be authorized to operate any specialized equipment such as the baler. If unsure about proper baler operation, ask your manager. If injured during the course of work, you must immediately report the injury to the manager on duty and by calling the 24-Hour Incident Reporting Hotline by calling 1-800-456-9446 within 24 hours and prior to seeking medical treatment. For more information on the Incident Reporting Hotline, review the Safety Communication Poster. Do not wait! For minor injuries, a first aid kit is available. If your injury requires medical attention, it will be provided for you. Emergency Response The primary objective of our emergency plan is to ensure the safety of employees and customers in our stores. Each store has emergency response information detailed on the Safety Communication Poster. This information outlines safety procedures and responsibilities, and provides evacuation procedures education. Become familiar with what to do in an emergency by learning and practicing procedures for fire, severe weather, earthquake or any other emergency. Learn and practice all of your store s escape routes and understand the procedures on the Safety Communication Poster.
Emergency Evacuation Plan During an emergency, determine if evacuation is necessary. Know where the fire extinguishers are located. During severe weather, stay calm and seek safe shelter in ground level hallways and interior rooms away from windows and possible falling objects. In an earthquake, seek shelter inside under a sturdy desk, table, inner doorway, or in a corner of a room. Hazard Communication All store employees work with or around hazardous materials to some degree. Examples of products considered to be hazardous materials include cleaning products, motor oil, and charcoal lighter fluid. All products considered hazardous must be properly labeled. For instance, if you pour a cleaning solution into an unlabeled container, you must clearly label the new container with its new contents. Information regarding what to do in case of injury or illness from a hazardous material is available from a material safety data sheet (MSDS). At Dollar General, MSDS information is immediately available by calling 1-877-855-8797. The information will be faxed or mailed immediately upon request. Specific information regarding the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard can be found on your store s Communication Center. Spill Response If you cannot clean a spill immediately, make sure customers and employees are alerted by placing Caution - Wet Floor signs in the area. An employee may need to be present to warn customers. Clean up the spill immediately with the appropriate materials. Do not pick up glass. Instead, sweep broken glass into dust pan and dispose of properly by placing broken glass in a hard sided container. Remove Caution -Wet Floor signs once the floor has completely dried. Return signs to the designated area.
Housekeeping During operating hours, do not leave rolltainers, u-boats or ladders unattended. Maintain aisles free of debris and any other slip or trip hazards at all times. After use, secure ladders in designated storage space. This ensures that the ladder will not fall if bumped or knocked loose. Sweep and mop floors regularly, as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual. Use the Daily EZ Planner for recording observations made during a visual Safety Check of the store. Each store is required to have 3 visual Safety Checks per day. Report any unsafe conditions or hazards, such as cracked or missing floor tiles, to your manager. Use Caution Wet Floor signs to guard unsafe areas until a repair can be performed. Fire Safety All stores must comply with all laws relative to smoking in public places. Use of tobacco is strictly prohibited in the work place. Unless otherwise required by law, no smoking is allowed within 20 feet of the store entrance. Employees are never expected to fight a fire. If you are trained to use a fire extinguisher, do so for a small fire if it is safe. If not trained, report the fire to the manager on duty. If you need to use an extinguisher to fight a fire, just think of the word PASS. Fire extinguisher instructions P -Pull the safety pin at the top of the extinguisher. A -Aim the nozzle horn or hose at the base of the fire. S -Squeeze or press the handle. S -Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire until it goes out. Manual Material Handling Warm up exercises are recommended as one method to prevent material handling injuries. Perform the exercises shown on the Safety Communication Poster at the start of your shift. Using proper lifting techniques will help to reduce potential back injuries.
Lifting To safely lift materials: 1. Stand as close to the load as possible. Get a firm footing, and spread your feet for balance. 2. Bend your knees, squatting to grip the load. 3. Grip the load with the whole hand. 4. Lift with your legs. 5. Keep your back as straight as possible. 6. Always turn on the balls of your feet when holding a load. Never twist at the waist. 7. Reverse the sequence to lower the load. Box Cutters Use Dollar General approved box cutters only. Ensure safety guards are working and knife is sharp. Always cut away from your body. Store knife properly. Dispose of dull knives in a hard sided container. Never leave box cutters on the sales floor. Ladders Always ensure the ladder is in safe condition prior to use. Ensure spreader bar is locked. Only one employee is allowed on the ladder at one time. Do not use the top two steps (get a taller ladder if needed). Move the ladder closer if you cannot safely reach an item. Return ladders to designated location and secure them so they cannot fall. Choose the right height of the ladder for the task. Keep hands free for climbing and have help handling merchandise. Never place a ladder in front of a door. Never climb on or place feet on shelving. Rolltainer Dollar General stores receive merchandise via rolltainers. Rolltainers are wheeled portable containers manufactured of aluminum. They provide a safe and effective method of supplying boxed merchandise from the distribution centers. Always review the condition of a rolltainer prior to use. If a rolltainer is in need of repair or is in an unsafe condition, tag and mark Do Not Use. Never ride on or stand on or in a rolltainer. Always push the rolltainer from the end with the pivot wheels. Do not pull. When moving a rolltainer, ensure your hands are placed on the inside bars and never on the outside. Do not leave rolltainers unattended during operating hours.
Rolltainer Toppers Rolltainer toppers are merchandise placed on the top of the rolltainers when the trailer is loaded at the distribution center. When the trailer arrives at your store, the truck driver will only remove a minimal amount of toppers to unload the trailer. Be cautious while moving rolltainers. If merchandise is stacked above the top of the rolltainer or leaning against the net, use a step stool or ladder to safely remove the merchandise prior to moving onto the sales floor or unhooking the net. Exit Doors & Receiving Rooms All emergency exits and electrical panels are required to remain unobstructed at all times. Electrical panels must have 36 inches of clearance. Maintain an unobstructed pathway in the receiving room at all times. Stage rolltainers and u-boats in an organized fashion.