CEREAL FOODS PROCESSORS INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CEREAL FOODS PROCESSORS INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 701 E. 17TH, WICHITA, KS 67214 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 37 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $47,350.00. The inspection case was opened on 2001-10-10.
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.
State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 37 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 11 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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.
Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 5, 2000 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 13, 2009. Of the 37 total citations, 15 (41%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.
Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $47,350.00 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 $1,279.73 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement record for Cereal Foods Processors Inc. reveals a deeply concerning pattern of systemic non-compliance centered on the Grain Handling Facilities standard (1910.272), which represents the highest tier of operational risk in the milling industry. The concentration of "Serious" violations with maximum gravity ratings (10) specifically targeting bin entry, emergency rescue, and observer requirements suggests a fundamental breakdown in the facility’s safety management system. These are not isolated administrative lapses; they indicate that workers were routinely exposed to engulfment and entrapment hazards—the leading causes of mortality in grain silos—without the mandatory life-safety protections or mechanical isolation protocols required by law. The penalty structure, totaling over $47,000 across 37 citations, is significantly higher than the industry average for a single inspection during this era, reflecting the high probability of a catastrophic event. Beyond the high-risk grain standards, the secondary layer of violations involving machine guarding (1910.212) and mechanical power-transmission apparatus (1910.219) points to a pervasive neglect of physical hazard controls. For workers, this environment meant navigating both the acute risk of explosive dust or engulfment and the daily risk of severe lacerations or amputations from exposed pulleys and belts. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a failure of management to implement a cohesive safety culture, prioritizing throughput over the rigorous technical requirements of OSHA’s high-hazard industry mandates.