GERDAU AMERISTEEL RECYCLING

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, GERDAU AMERISTEEL RECYCLING — a recyclable material merchant wholesalers facility located at 776 OHIO STREET, BUFFALO, NY 14240 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 13 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $21,690.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-04-20.

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 2.6 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 4.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $21,690.00 is more than 4.2× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 423930). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within NY, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 140,736 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,208.33.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 13 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 1 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 February 23, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 31, 2011. Of the 13 total citations, 6 (46%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $21,690.00 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 $1,668.46 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection at Gerdau Ameristeel Recycling revealed a systemic breakdown of core safety programs, characterized by high