EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES — a other electrical equipment and component manufacturing facility located at 413 E. BERG RD., SALINA, KS 67401 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 65 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $164,264.30. The inspection case was opened on 2006-02-16.

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.

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 $164,264.30 is more than 25.5× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 335911). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 65 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 5 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 January 15, 2003 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 1, 2003. Of the 65 total citations, 13 (20%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $164,264.30 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 $2,527.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2006 enforcement action against Exide Technologies’ Salina facility represents a