BERRY GLOBAL INC QDC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BERRY GLOBAL INC QDC — a plastics bottle manufacturing facility located at 2732 62ND STREET COURT, BETTENDORF, IA 52722 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 3 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $26,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 2018-01-10.

DOL records document workplace safety violations warranting formal citation under the OSH Act. While classified at the standard enforcement level, all OSHA citations require corrective action and may indicate areas where workplace safety programs should be strengthened.

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 $26,500.00 is more than 3.1× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326160). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 3 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 2 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 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning February 5, 2018 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 1, 2018. Of the 3 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 $26,500.00 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 $8,833.33 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action at Berry Global’s Bettendorf facility reveals a troubling intersection of electrical hazards and systemic failures in energy control protocols. The assessment of a $25,000 penalty under the Code of Iowa (General Duty Clause equivalent) for a gravity-10 violation signifies a high-probability risk of death or serious physical harm, likely involving a catastrophic hazard not explicitly covered by a specific vertical standard. This disproportionately high penalty relative to the total fine amount suggests that inspectors identified a condition where management knew or should have known of a life-threatening danger but failed to rectify it. The presence of a repeat violation for 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(B)—specifically regarding the failure to provide detailed procedural steps for shutting down and securing machines—indicates a persistent breakdown in the facility’s Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program. By failing to correct these documentation deficiencies following previous citations, the facility demonstrated a systemic inability to standardize safety during maintenance activities, exposing workers to potential crushed limbs or electrocution from unexpected kinetic energy. When coupled with the 1910.303 electrical guarding violation, the pattern suggests a culture where the fundamental infrastructure of safety—documentation, equipment maintenance, and hazard recognition—has been deprioritized. This record reflects a failure of safety leadership rather than isolated mechanical errors, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of the site’s technical safety management systems.