COUNTRY FRESH INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, COUNTRY FRESH INC — a fluid milk manufacturing facility located at 609 S CHAVEZ, FLINT, MI 48503 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 26 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $19,485.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-08-26.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $19,485.00 is more than 2.3× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311511). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within MI, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 106,495 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,470.95.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 26 citations spanning 12 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 10 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning October 2, 2002 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 7, 2007. Of the 26 total citations, 15 (58%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $19,485.00 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 $749.42 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Country Fresh Inc. revealed a pervasive breakdown in core mechanical safety protocols, specifically regarding the control of hazardous energy and machine safeguarding. The high volume of citations—26 in total—indicated a systemic failure rather than isolated technical lapses. The recurring citations under 1910.147 and related MIOSHA standards demonstrated that the facility failed to implement foundational Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements, including documented procedures, periodic inspections, and specialized training. For workers, these deficiencies translated into a high-risk environment where the threat of amputations, crushing injuries, or unexpected machine startups was a daily reality. The synergy between inadequate guarding and faulty LOTO protocols suggests that maintenance and production personnel were frequently exposed to energized components without the protections mandated by law. While individual penalties