ASSOCIATED WHOLESALE GROCERS INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, ASSOCIATED WHOLESALE GROCERS INC. — a general line grocery merchant wholesalers facility located at 5000 KANSAS AVE., KANSAS CITY, KS 66106 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 51 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $154,800.00. The inspection case was opened on 2017-02-22.

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 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.

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

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $154,800.00 is more than 29.9× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 424410). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 51 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning January 4, 2001 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 4, 2007. Of the 51 total citations, 7 (14%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $154,800.00 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 $3,035.29 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2017 enforcement action against Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. revealed a pervasive