BLANCHARD REFINING COMPANY LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BLANCHARD REFINING COMPANY LLC — a petrochemical manufacturing facility located at 2401 5TH AVENUE SOUTH, TEXAS CITY, TX 77590 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 11 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $40,025.00. The inspection case was opened on 2018-12-19.

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 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 $40,025.00 is more than 4.8× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 325110). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within TX, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 119,485 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,783.80.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 11 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 7 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 June 5, 2015 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 18, 2017. Of the 11 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 $40,025.00 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 $3,638.64 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Blanchard Refining Company LLC reveals a systemic breakdown in high-hazard administrative controls, specifically