HIGHLAND YARN MILLS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HIGHLAND YARN MILLS — a industry sector 00 facility located at 1014 MILL AVE., HIGH POINT, NC 27261 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 27 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $43,325.00. The inspection case was opened on 1992-03-16.

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.

State Context: Within NC, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 88,256 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,699.39.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 27 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 5 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 10 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 September 9, 1992 with the latest abatement deadline set for March 11, 1993. Of the 27 total citations, 15 (56%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $43,325.00 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 $1,604.63 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1992 enforcement action against Highland Yarn Mills revealed a profound systemic collapse in managing industry-specific health hazards, specifically regarding the OSHA Cotton Dust Standard (29 CFR 1910.1043). The concentration of "Serious" violations with maximum gravity ratings of 10 underscores a high probability of workers developing byssinosis, or "brown lung," a debilitating occupational respiratory disease. The citations indicated a multi-layered failure: the mill neglected initial and periodic monitoring, failed to implement feasible engineering and work practice controls