COOPERATIVE PLUS INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, COOPERATIVE PLUS INC. — a other animal food manufacturing facility located at 638 S. KANE ST., BURLINGTON, WI 53105 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 22 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $521,350.00. The inspection case was opened on 2007-12-05.

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 $521,350.00 is more than 61.1× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311119). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within WI, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 43,331 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,505.68.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 22 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 5 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 10 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 13, 2008 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 15, 2015. Of the 22 total citations, 13 (59%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $23,697.73 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 enforcement action against Cooperative Plus Inc. represents a catastrophic failure of safety management within the high-risk grain handling industry. The assessment of over $520,0