EXIDE BATTERY CORP.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, EXIDE BATTERY CORP. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 2001 LEHIGH STREET, ALLENTOWN, PA 18103 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 34 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $158,100.00. The inspection case was opened on 1990-02-08.

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.

State Context: Within PA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 84,409 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,015.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 34 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 10 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 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 February 26, 1988 with the latest abatement deadline set for March 12, 1990. Of the 34 total citations, 15 (44%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $158,100.00 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 $4,650.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1990 enforcement action against Exide Battery Corporation’s Allentown facility represents a significant regulatory intervention, characterized by a staggering $158,100 penalty that far exceeded industry norms for the era. The citation profile reveals a systemic failure to manage the acute and chronic risks associated with lead processing. The presence of willful violations under 29 CFR 1910.1025 (Lead) and 1910.134 (Respiratory Protection) is the most critical element of this record; it indicates that management possessed actual knowledge of hazardous lead concentrations and the necessity of fit-testing