ADAMS THERMAL SYSTEMS, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, ADAMS THERMAL SYSTEMS, INC. — a air-conditioning and warm air heating equipment and commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturing facility located at 47920 FIFTH STREET, CANTON, SD 57013 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 75 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $461,040.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-11-08.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers — 22% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.3 per 100,000 workers.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: Clean Water Act, RCRA Hazardous Waste. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $461,040.00 is more than 71.6× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 333415). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within SD, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 6,675 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,764.62.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 75 citations spanning 9 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. 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. 5 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning February 18, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 30, 2013. Of the 75 total citations, 5 (7%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $461,040.00 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 $6,147.20 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Adams Thermal Systems represented a catastrophic breakdown in safety management, evidenced by the staggering $4