Expert says if Family Dollar employees reached out, OSHA could've intervened sooner

This is KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson's second story examining OSHA's investigation of a deadly roof collapse at the Family Dollar in Midtown. Alyssa covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.

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Family Dollar’s roof collapse last summer is one of those tragedies that video can’t fully capture.
 
The collapse occurred July 27, 2025, at the store's Midtown Kansas City, Missouri, location.

On Monday, KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson walked viewers through a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation she obtained through a public records request.

This is a story KSHB 41 continued to follow.

One shopper, Larry Banks, was killed. Three others, including Tammy Martin, survived their injuries.

Martin was on her bike underneath the roof as it collapsed.

KSHB 41

She is still relearning how to use her hands and doesn’t know if she will ever be able to ride again. 
 
"Life or death — people's lives not dollar bills," Martin said.
 
The roof collapse followed damage to a beam from a car wreck in 2016, according to OSHA records. 
 

KSHB 41

OSHA records state Family Dollar said it notified the landlord of the damage, but the beam was never repaired. 
 
"There's no doubt then they should've fixed it," said James Stigall, Martin's attorney.
 
In OSHA’s investigation, a compliance officer spoke with Family Dollar employees.

A district manager acknowledged receiving messages from the store manager about the roof’s condition before the collapse.

KCMO

That included a request to close the store.  

"All we're instructed to do is put in work order tickets and call the 855 number, and after that, it’s out of our hands," the district manager said in the interview. “We did what we were supposed to do.” 
 
The manager told OSHA the fire department visited the store twice, but the building wasn’t deemed unsafe. 

KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson reached out to the fire department. A spokesperson said it does not evaluate structural issues. 

KSHB 41

“So in the days leading up to this, you made no extra attempt to follow up to make sure someone from Family Dollar other than the building owner went and took a look at it?” the OSHA compliance officer asked in an interview with the district manager.
 
The district manager responded, “That’s above my pay grade.” 
 
KSHB 41 took the federal investigation to an independent OSHA expert who provides training, expert witness testimony and helps companies deal with OSHA citations.

Curtis Chambers, president of OSHA Training Services INC., read OSHA's investigation on the roof collapse.

He questioned the store's decision to stay open. 
 
"Personally, a little bit surprised there toward the end when this thing was more apparently damaged, kind of an imminent danger thing that the employer didn’t take some additional steps or block it off," Chambers said.
 
OSHA got involved after the collapse and fined Family Dollar $11,585.

Chambers said there is a scenario where the agency could’ve intervened sooner. 

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB 41

 
"Had someone called OSHA, an employee called OSHA to report this, they would’ve probably been out there within 24 hours to investigate," he said.

If employees of a business want to file a complaint, they can use the online complaint form on OSHA's website.
 
Attorneys for Family Dollar and the building's landlord have not responded to KSHB 41's requests for comment.

Lawsuits against both parties remain pending in civil court.
 
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