CONOCO, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, CONOCO, INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at OLD SPANISH TRAIL, WESTLAKE, LA 70669 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 61 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $1,592,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 1992-09-22.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $1,592,500.00 is more than 1,331.8× the national average of $1,195.75 for facilities in the Other sector (NAICS 000000). This sector encompasses 1,316,687 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $1,574.4M.

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 61 citations spanning 1 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 unclassified — A technical violation that does not fit neatly into the standard classification categories.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning April 21, 1995 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 27, 1996. Of the 61 total citations, 15 (25%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $26,106.56 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.

The 1992 enforcement action against Conoco’s Westlake facility represents a landmark application of the then-nascent Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, carrying a staggering $1,592,500 penalty that signaled OSHA’s shift