AJINOMOTO FOODS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, AJINOMOTO FOODS NORTH AMERICA, INC. — a frozen specialty food manufacturing facility located at 10646 HWY. 51, OAKLAND, MS 38948 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $41,718.80. The inspection case was opened on 2019-10-08.
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 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: RCRA Hazardous Waste. Source: EPA ECHO database.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $41,718.80 is more than 4.9× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311412). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.
State Context: Within MS, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 15,959 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,620.02.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 3 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 December 13, 2019 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 17, 2022. 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 $41,718.80 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 $4,635.42 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement profile for Ajinomoto Foods North America’s Oakland facility reveals a critical breakdown in hazardous energy control, specifically targeting the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard under 29 CFR 1910.147. The concentration of Serious violations—particularly those carrying a maximum gravity rating of 10—indicates a pervasive failure to implement machine-specific energy control procedures and periodic inspections. These citations suggest that workers were routinely exposed to amputation risks and unexpected energization during maintenance cycles. The specific citation of 1910.147(f)(3)(ii)(D) regarding group lockout failures highlights a systemic lack of coordination during complex servicing operations, which is a common precursor to catastrophic multi-worker incidents in food manufacturing. The penalty assessment of $41,718.80, while substantial for a single inspection, reflects a moderate enforcement stance given the gravity of the hazards; however, the presence of nine distinct violations across housekeeping and LOTO standards points toward a broader culture of non-compliance rather than isolated technical errors. The failure to maintain adequate walking-working surfaces alongside these mechanical hazards implies that the facility struggled with fundamental industrial hygiene and safety management systems. For a high-volume food processing plant, this pattern of LOTO deficiencies demonstrates a significant gap between corporate safety policy and floor-level execution, placing the site at high risk for Repeat classification in subsequent inspections.