COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY OF NEW ENGLAND

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY OF NEW ENGLAND — a soft drink manufacturing facility located at 9 B STREET, NEEDHAM, MA 02194 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 103 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $61,175.50. The inspection case was opened on 2003-08-28.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $61,175.50 is more than 7.2× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 312111). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 103 citations spanning 8 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. 5 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 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 September 28, 1990 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 28, 2008. Of the 103 total citations, 9 (9%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $61,175.50 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 $593.94 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of this bottling facility revealed a staggering volume of 103 citations