CARGILL, INCORPORATED

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CARGILL, INCORPORATED — a grain and field bean merchant wholesalers facility located at 1845 NW GORDON, TOPEKA, KS 66608 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 12 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $53,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2003-09-24.

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.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.6 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 4.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $53,000.00 is more than 10.2× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 424510). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 12 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 10 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 March 12, 2004 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 6, 2007. Of the 12 total citations, 9 (75%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $53,000.00 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 $4,416.67 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of this grain handling facility revealed a systemic breakdown of the highly specialized safety protocols mandated under 29 CFR 1910.272. The citation pattern indicates a pervasive failure to manage the life-threatening risks of engulfment and combustible dust explosions, which are the primary