ARCH WOOD PROTECTION, INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, ARCH WOOD PROTECTION, INC. — a manufacturing facility located at 1579 KOPPER ROAD, CONLEY, GA 30288 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $88,869.40. The inspection case was opened on 2018-07-17.
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.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $88,869.40 is more than 10.6× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 325998). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.
State Context: Within GA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 48,956 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,799.18.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 13 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 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 9, 2018 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 11, 2023. Of the 14 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 $88,869.40 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 $6,347.81 falls within the standard penalty range.
The 2018 enforcement action at Arch Wood Protection, Inc. revealed a systemic failure to manage high-toxicity chemical exposures, specifically inorganic arsenic and hexavalent chromium. The citation profile, characterized by fourteen violations and nearly $89,000 in penalties, underscores a breakdown in the fundamental hierarchy of controls within a chemical manufacturing environment. The gravity ratings of 10 for multiple standards—including respiratory protection, medical surveillance, and emergency eyewash/shower availability—indicate that OSHA identified conditions with a high probability of causing permanent physiological harm or death. The concentration of violations under 29 CFR 1910.1018 (Inorganic Arsenic) suggests that management failed to establish a robust regulated area or implement mandatory monitoring and hygiene practices required for carcinogen handling. Furthermore, the significant penalties associated with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and eye/face protection signify that workers were frequently left exposed to acute chemical splashes and inhalation hazards without adequate barriers. This pattern of non-compliance is not indicative of isolated lapses but rather a programmatic deficiency in the facility’s Process Safety Management (PSM) culture. The penalty severity is notably high for the NAICS 325998 sector, reflecting OSHA’s intent to penalize the employer’s failure to maintain a comprehensive medical surveillance program, which is the final line of defense in monitoring chronic occupational illness.