FURNITURE PLUS/THE STRIPPING WORKSHOP

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, FURNITURE PLUS/THE STRIPPING WORKSHOP — a reupholstery and furniture repair facility located at 100 GRAND ST., WORCESTER, MA 01610 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 19 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $9,300.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-12-08.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.0 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 3.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $9,300.00 is more than 3.2× the national average of $2,870.27 for facilities in the Other Services sector (NAICS 811420). This sector encompasses 29,798 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $85.5M.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 94th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 19 citations spanning 3 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. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 19, 2004 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 23, 2005. Of the 19 total citations, 7 (37%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The total proposed penalty of $9,300.00 falls within OSHA's standard enforcement range and may have been adjusted through informal settlement conference procedures, penalty reduction factors, or good faith credit for demonstrated safety and health management systems.