AMSTED RAIL

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, AMSTED RAIL — a iron and steel forging facility located at 416 CARBIDE LANE, KEOKUK, IA 52632 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 28 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $97,152.00. The inspection case was opened on 2020-07-31.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $97,152.00 is more than 15.1× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 332111). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 28 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 8 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 7 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 November 30, 2020 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 16, 2024. Of the 28 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 $97,152.00 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 $3,469.71 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Amsted Rail’s Keokuk facility revealed a systemic failure to manage high-energy