AVANTE APARTMENTS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, AVANTE APARTMENTS — a lessors of residential buildings and dwellings facility located at 1610 W JAMES PL, KENT, WA 98032 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 20 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $30,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-12-17.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.5 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 3.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $30,000.00 is more than 9.4× the national average of $3,186.32 for facilities in the Other sector (NAICS 531110). This sector encompasses 8,577 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $27.3M.

State Context: Within WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 20 citations spanning 14 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. 5 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 2 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 June 2, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 22, 2015. Of the 20 total citations, 15 (75%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $30,000.00 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 $1,500.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record at Avante Apartments reveals a catastrophic breakdown in hazardous material management, specifically concerning asbestos exposure and respiratory protection. The presence of five Repeat (R) violations alongside seven Serious (S) citations indicates that management failed to rectify previously identified hazards, transforming isolated safety gaps into a persistent, systemic culture of non-compliance. In practical terms, workers were likely tasked with renovation or maintenance activities involving asbestos-containing materials (ACM) without the required containment protocols, medical surveillance, or adequate respiratory equipment. This exposure profile suggests a high probability of long-term latent health risks for staff, including asbestosis or mesothelioma, stemming from the employer’s failure to implement basic WAC 296-62 (Asbestos) and WAC 296-842 (Respiratory Protection) standards. The $30,000 penalty is significantly higher than the industry average for residential property management, reflecting the gravity