COSMO SPECIALTY FIBERS INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, COSMO SPECIALTY FIBERS INC — a sawmills facility located at 1701 1ST ST, COSMOPOLIS, WA 98537 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 35 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $32,450.00. The inspection case was opened on 2012-05-29.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

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: The EPA currently lists this facility under Violation Identified status. EPA penalties total $1,385,777.00 (Clean Air Act: $149,102.00; Clean Water Act: $695,325.00; Hazardous Waste (RCRA): $541,350.00). Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $32,450.00 is more than 3.9× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321113). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 35 citations spanning 12 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning October 19, 2012 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 16, 2014. Of the 35 total citations, 14 (40%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $32,450.00 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 $927.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Cosmo Specialty Fibers Inc. reveals a profound systemic breakdown in safety management, characterized by an unusually high volume of