FORD STERLING AXLE PLT

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, FORD STERLING AXLE PLT — a motor vehicle body manufacturing facility located at 39000 MOUND RD, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 99 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $56,055.00. The inspection case was opened on 2010-10-18.

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 $56,055.00 is more than 8.7× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 336211). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within MI, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 106,495 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,470.95.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 99 citations spanning 12 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 13 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning June 3, 1992 with the latest abatement deadline set for March 10, 1997. Of the 99 total citations, 15 (15%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $56,055.00 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 $566.21 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for the Ford Sterling Axle Plant reveals a profound systemic breakdown in safety management, characterized