DETROIT DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, DETROIT DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION — a bus and other motor vehicle transit systems facility located at 1301 E WARREN AVE, DETROIT, MI 48207 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 54 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $27,690.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-03-18.

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 4.6 per 100 full-time workers — 70% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 14.0 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $27,690.00 is more than 6.5× the national average of $4,244.13 for facilities in the Transportation sector (NAICS 485113). This sector encompasses 17,047 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $72.3M.

State Context: Within MI, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 106,495 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,470.95.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 54 citations spanning 11 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. 6 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 4 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 13, 2013 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 20, 2013. Of the 54 total citations, 15 (28%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $27,690.00 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 $512.78 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2013 inspection of the Detroit Department of Transportation’s Warren Avenue facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in safety management, evidenced by an unusually high volume of 54 citations. The concentration of violations within the 1910.134 (Respiratory Protection) and 1910.1200 (Hazard Communication) standards indicates a systemic failure to protect maintenance personnel from chronic chemical exposures inherent in transit service operations. For workers, these deficiencies meant they were likely operating in environments with inadequate respiratory protection programs, missing medical evaluations, and insufficient training regarding hazardous substances. The presence of multiple repeat violations (Type: R) across Michigan-specific administrative and electrical standards is particularly damning;