EL ABUELITO CHEESE INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, EL ABUELITO CHEESE INC. — a cheese manufacturing facility located at 607 MAIN STEET, PATERSON, NJ 07503 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 11 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $159,218.50. The inspection case was opened on 2020-06-30.

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 $159,218.50 is more than 18.7× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311513). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within NJ, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 81,999 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,616.41.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 11 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning December 23, 2020 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 11, 2021. Of the 11 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $159,218.50 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 $14,474.41 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for El Abuelito Cheese Inc. revealed a profound breakdown in fundamental safety management systems