CARGILL MEAT SOLUTIONS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CARGILL MEAT SOLUTIONS — a manufacturing facility located at 3201 E. HIGHWAY 154, DODGE CITY, KS 67801 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 42 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $163,280.00. The inspection case was opened on 2010-11-15.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $163,280.00 is more than 19.1× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311611). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

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 42 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 8 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 May 10, 2011 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 8, 2012. Of the 42 total citations, 7 (17%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $163,280.00 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 $3,887.62 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action at this meat processing facility revealed a deeply entrenched pattern of systemic safety failures