DIAMOND PLASTICS CORPORATION
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, DIAMOND PLASTICS CORPORATION — a manufacturing facility located at 7614 INDUSTRIAL HIGHWAY, MACON, GA 31216 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 72 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $107,037.40. The inspection case was opened on 2019-06-04.
Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $107,037.40 is more than 12.7× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326122). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.
State Context: Within GA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 48,956 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,799.18.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 72 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 13 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 2 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 September 26, 2001 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 22, 2009. Of the 72 total citations, 11 (15%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.
Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $107,037.40 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 $1,486.63 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement action against Diamond Plastics Corporation’s Macon facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized by an exceptionally high volume of citations that suggests systemic negligence rather than isolated lapses. The penalty exceeding $100,000 is significantly higher than the industry average for plastics pipe manufacturing, signaling that OSHA identified aggravated risk levels. The citation patterns underscore a failure to control high-energy hazards, specifically regarding Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures under 1910.147 and the safe operation of powered industrial trucks and overhead cranes. For the workforce, these deficiencies translated into daily exposure to crushing injuries, electrocution, and catastrophic mechanical failures during maintenance and material handling. The presence of violations across diverse standards—ranging from electrical wiring methods to abrasive wheel machinery and compressed gas storage—indicates a lack of a cohesive safety culture and inadequate internal auditing. Of particular concern for EHS professionals is the failure to implement specific energy control procedures and periodic inspections, which are the primary safeguards against unexpected machine startups. This enforcement record portrays a facility where production demands likely outpaced safety compliance, creating a hazardous environment where multiple layers of protection were simultaneously absent. From a legal and compliance perspective, the sheer breadth of these citations establishes a roadmap of documented hazards that would significantly increase the company's liability in the event of a subsequent workplace fatality or severe injury.