BATTLE LUMBER CO., INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BATTLE LUMBER CO., INC. — a manufacturing facility located at 11261 HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH, WADLEY, GA 30477 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 25 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $88,165.85. The inspection case was opened on 2019-06-25.

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 $88,165.85 is more than 10.5× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321920). 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 25 citations spanning 6 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. 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 March 29, 1995 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 28, 2018. Of the 25 total citations, 11 (44%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $88,165.85 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 $3,526.63 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Battle Lumber Co., Inc. reveals a profound systemic breakdown in hazardous energy control and mechanical safeguarding, typical of high-risk wood product manufacturing environments but executed with alarming breadth. The sheer volume of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout) violations—spanning procedural development, hardware provision, employee training, and periodic inspections—indicates that the facility’s energy control program was largely non-functional. For workers, this translated to a high probability of catastrophic injury or amputation during routine maintenance and clearing of jams, as the lack of verified de-energization protocols left them vulnerable to unexpected machine startups