FLUOROCHEM, INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, FLUOROCHEM, INC. — a professional services facility located at 680 S. AYON AVE., AZUSA, CA 91702 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 20 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $82,235.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-03-22.
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.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $82,235.00 is more than 26.2× the national average of $3,143.09 for facilities in the Professional sector (NAICS 541990). This sector encompasses 8,196 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $25.8M.
State Context: Within CA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 184,062 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,010.44.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 20 citations spanning 1 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 11 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 1 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 December 28, 1990 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 29, 1991. Of the 20 total citations, 15 (75%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.
Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $82,235.00 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 $4,111.75 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement record for Fluorochem, Inc. reveals a deeply concerning profile of regulatory non-compliance, characterized by a high volume of citations and significant financial penalties that far exceed industry norms for professional, scientific, and technical services. The presence of multiple willful violations—specifically regarding standards 5176 and 5194—indicates a legal threshold where the employer demonstrated either an intentional disregard for worker safety or a plain indifference to the law. In practical terms, these violations suggest that workers were exposed to hazardous substances without adequate training, communication, or protective controls, a failure compounded by the "willful" designation which signifies that management was likely aware of these risks yet failed to mitigate them. The citation pattern identifies a systemic breakdown in chemical safety management rather than isolated lapses. The intersection of standards governing hazardous substance information (5194) and specific chemical handling protocols (5176) points to a fundamental lack of an effective Hazard Communication Program. Furthermore, the sheer breadth of "Other-than-Serious" citations across facility maintenance, electrical safety, and industrial truck operations suggests a pervasive culture of negligence regarding basic operational standards. For a facility engaged in chemical research or production, the combination of high-gravity willful citations and numerous technical infractions reflects a comprehensive failure of the safety management system, placing the organization at extreme risk for catastrophic incidents and heightened future scrutiny from Cal/OSHA.