CITY OF CLIFTON RECREATION DEPARTMENT*
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CITY OF CLIFTON RECREATION DEPARTMENT* — a facilities support services facility located at 307 EAST SEVENTH STREET, CLIFTON, NJ 07011 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 8 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $47,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2015-07-07.
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.
BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.8 per 100 full-time workers — 4% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 5.3 per 100,000 workers.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $47,000.00 is more than 11.3× the national average of $4,155.70 for facilities in the Admin Services sector (NAICS 561210). This sector encompasses 40,441 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $168.1M.
State Context: Within NJ, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 81,999 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,616.41.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 8 citations spanning 4 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. 1 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 April 29, 2015 with the latest abatement deadline set for July 3, 2015. Of the 8 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.
Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $47,000.00 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 $5,875.00 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement profile for the City of Clifton Recreation Department reveals a multifaceted breakdown in fundamental safety controls, characterized by high-gravity citations that suggest a systemic neglect of facility maintenance. The imposition of $47,000 in penalties is significantly elevated for a municipal recreation entity, reflecting the serious nature of the hazards identified. The convergence of violations under 1910.106 regarding flammable liquids and 1910.303 regarding electrical guarding and mounting created a high-risk environment where the potential for catastrophic fire or arc flash incidents was palpable. For workers, these deficiencies meant operating in proximity to improperly stored combustibles and exposed electrical components, a combination that drastically increases the probability of workplace fatalities. Furthermore, the repeated invocation of the N.J.S.A. 34:6A-33(A) General Duty Clause underscores that the employer failed to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards not covered by specific standards, signaling a broader failure in the department