CARTER-WELSH INC DBA GARCO CONSTRUCTION

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CARTER-WELSH INC DBA GARCO CONSTRUCTION — a industry sector 00 facility located at HWY 529 BRIDGE PROJECT, MARYSVILLE, WA 98270 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $22,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 2002-06-07.

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.

State Context: Within WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 9 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 November 6, 2002 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 4, 2002. Of the 9 total citations, 9 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $22,500.00 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 $2,500.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Carter-Welsh Inc. during the Highway 529 bridge project reveals a profound breakdown in fundamental safety engineering and industrial hygiene oversight. The assessment of eight serious violations, nearly all carrying identical maximum-tier penalties for the period, indicates a programmatic failure rather than isolated technical oversights. For the workforce, these citations—clustered around WAC 296-155 standards—signified immediate exposure to life-threatening hazards, likely involving fall protection inadequacies or lead exposure protocols common in bridge rehabilitation. The $22,500 cumulative penalty was significantly higher than industry averages for bridge contractors at the