BUTTERBALL TURKEY COMPANY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BUTTERBALL TURKEY COMPANY — a industry sector 00 facility located at 411 NORTH MAIN STREET, CARTHAGE, MO 64836 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 123 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $508,181.50. The inspection case was opened on 1999-03-24.

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.

State Context: Within MO, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 41,963 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,902.40.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 123 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 3 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 9, 1989 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 30, 1989. Of the 123 total citations, 15 (12%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $508,181.50 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 $4,131.56 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1999 inspection of the Butterball Turkey Company facility in Carthage, Missouri, resulted in an enforcement action that remains a benchmark for systemic safety failure in the meat processing industry. With 123 total citations and a penalty exceeding $500,000—an astronomical sum for