CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION-LCMC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CITGO PETROLEUM CORPORATION-LCMC — a petroleum refineries facility located at 4401 LA HWY 108, SULPHUR, LA 70663 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 437 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $5,916,835.80. The inspection case was opened on 2018-02-13.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers — 22% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $5,916,835.80 is more than 703.2× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 324110). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within LA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,587 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,582.10.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 437 citations spanning 1 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 14 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning March 30, 1990 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 6, 1991. Of the 437 total citations, 15 (3%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $5,916,835.80 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 $13,539.67 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2018 inspection of the Citgo Sulphur refinery revealed a systemic collapse of safety