DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION — a motor vehicle manufacturing facility located at 550 S. COLLEGE AVENUE, NEWARK, DE 19711 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 222 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $1,592,175.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-12-02.

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 $1,592,175.00 is more than 247.4× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 336111). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within DE, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 5,902 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $4,743.73.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 222 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 7 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 8 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 July 6, 1987 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 11, 2002. Of the 222 total citations, 15 (7%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $1,592,175.00 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 $7,171.96 falls within the standard penalty range.

This 2004 enforcement action against Daimler Chrysler’s Newark facility represents