EDEN PELLETS LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, EDEN PELLETS LLC — a all other miscellaneous wood product manufacturing facility located at 2036 ATLANTIC AVENUE, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23324 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 12 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $98,280.00. The inspection case was opened on 2014-04-28.

Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.

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 $98,280.00 is more than 11.7× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321999). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within VA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 62,574 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,237.86.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 12 citations spanning 7 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. 3 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 2 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 8, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 1, 2015. Of the 12 total citations, 7 (58%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $98,280.00 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 $8,190.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Eden Pellets LLC reveals a critically deficient safety culture characterized by a blatant disregard for