BIG SKY INSULATION, INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BIG SKY INSULATION, INC. — a manufacturing facility located at 15 ARDEN DRIVE, BELGRADE, MT 59714 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 7 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $17,640.00. The inspection case was opened on 2012-12-05.
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.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $17,640.00 is more than 2.1× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326140). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.
State Context: Within MT, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 9,480 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,110.71.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 7 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 5 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 February 4, 2013 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 3, 2013. Of the 7 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 $17,640.00 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 $2,520.00 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement record for Big Sky Insulation, Inc. reveals a concerning pattern of high-gravity physical hazards that suggest a systemic failure to maintain basic mechanical and environmental safety controls. The most egregious citation involving 1910.213(d)(1) carries a maximum gravity rating of 10, indicating that inspectors identified a high probability of catastrophic injury—likely amputation or severe laceration—resulting from unguarded crosscut table saws. This mechanical hazard was compounded by a failure to manage compressed air equipment under 1910.242(b), where excessive pressure poses significant risks of embolism or ocular injury to operators. Furthermore, the dual citations under the occupational noise standard (1910.95) signify that the employer failed to establish both a continuing effective hearing conservation program and a robust monitoring scheme. For a facility in the polystyrene foam manufacturing sector (NAICS 326140), these omissions point to a lack of industrial hygiene oversight. The penalty assessment of $17,640 for seven violations is notably high for a facility of this scale, particularly the $5,880 assessments for individual electrical and guarding infractions. This aggressive penalty structure reflects OSHA’s determination that the hazards were not merely incidental but represented a fundamental breakdown in the facility’s safety management system, specifically regarding the integration of electrical safety-related work practices and machine safeguarding.