111229 - TOMS AUTO SALVAGE

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, 111229 - TOMS AUTO SALVAGE — a wholesale trade agents and brokers facility located at 29332 CR 10, ELKHART, IN 46517 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $27,592.00. The inspection case was opened on 2020-08-05.

DOL records document workplace safety violations warranting formal citation under the OSH Act. While classified at the standard enforcement level, all OSHA citations require corrective action and may indicate areas where workplace safety programs should be strengthened.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.6 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 4.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $27,592.00 is more than 5.3× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 425120). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within IN, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 60,580 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,266.78.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 9 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning January 15, 2021 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 18, 2021. Of the 9 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 cumulative penalty of $27,592.00 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $3,065.78 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Tom’s Auto Salvage reveals a concentrated and high-gravity failure in specialized mechanical safety protocols, specifically regarding the servicing of multi-piece and single-piece rim wheels. The preponderance of citations under 29 CFR 1910.177—accounting for the vast majority of the $27,592 penalty—indicates a systemic absence of the protective barriers and procedural safeguards required to prevent catastrophic tire explosions or rim separations. For workers, these violations represent a constant threat of blunt-force trauma or fatalities during