CLARKE PRODUCTS INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CLARKE PRODUCTS INC. — a plastics plumbing fixture manufacturing facility located at 2100 B ORCHARD LANE, WACO, TX 76705 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 53 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $154,883.50. The inspection case was opened on 2018-04-19.
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.
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.
EPA Environmental Record: regulated under: Toxics Release Inventory. Toxic Release Inventory reports 20030 lbs in releases/transfers. Source: EPA ECHO database.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $154,883.50 is more than 18.4× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326191). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.
State Context: Within TX, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 119,485 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,783.80.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 53 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 14 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 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.
Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning August 14, 2015 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 30, 2018. Of the 53 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 $154,883.50 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 $2,922.33 falls within the standard penalty range.
The inspection of Clarke Products Inc. revealed a pervasive breakdown in safety management systems, characterized by high-gravity violations across multiple critical domains. The sheer volume of citations—exceeding fifty—indicates a systemic failure rather than isolated oversights. Most concerning was the presence of a repeat violation regarding respiratory protection (1910.134), which signaled a legal failure to correct previously identified hazards and exposed the workforce to ongoing inhalation risks. The high-gravity ratings (Gravity 10) associated with flammable liquid storage and spray finishing operations (1910.106 and 1