GILTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, GILTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC. — a solid waste collection facility located at 1859 W. 20TH ST., JOPLIN, MO 64804 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 4 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $18,469.20. The inspection case was opened on 2017-10-11.

DOL records document workplace safety violations warranting formal citation under the OSH Act. While classified at the standard enforcement level, all OSHA citations require corrective action and may indicate areas where workplace safety programs should be strengthened.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.8 per 100 full-time workers — 4% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 5.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $18,469.20 is more than 4.4× the national average of $4,155.70 for facilities in the Admin Services sector (NAICS 562111). This sector encompasses 40,441 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $168.1M.

State Context: Within MO, this facility's penalty places it at the 98th percentile among 41,963 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,902.40.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 4 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 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 October 31, 2017 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 15, 2017. Of the 4 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $18,469.20 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 $4,617.30 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Gilton Solid Waste Management, Inc. revealed a fragmented safety culture characterized by systemic administrative lapses and immediate physical hazards. The citation for 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1), which carried the highest gravity rating and nearly half the total penalty, indicated a fundamental failure to protect employees from high-risk points of operation, ingoing nip points, and rotating parts. In the context of solid waste management, such omissions often translate to a heightened risk of catastrophic crushing injuries or amputations during equipment operation. This physical hazard was compounded by a failure to maintain powered industrial trucks under 1910.178(q)(5), suggesting that the facility permitted the use of defective machinery, thereby endangering both operators and pedestrian workers in high-traffic collection environments. Beyond mechanical risks, the simultaneous absence of a formal respiratory protection program and a written hazard communication program pointed toward a systemic failure in industrial hygiene management. For workers handling potentially hazardous waste streams, these violations meant they were likely exposed to airborne contaminants and chemical hazards without the benefit of standardized PPE protocols or essential safety data. While the total penalty of $18,469.20 was moderate for the industry, the high gravity assigned to the machine guarding and forklift maintenance violations suggests that OSHA inspectors identified immediate threats to