HILAND ICE CREAM

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HILAND ICE CREAM — a ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing facility located at 700 EAST OMAHA AVE., NORFOLK, NE 68701 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 6 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $41,255.00. The inspection case was opened on 2019-04-12.

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 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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $41,255.00 is more than 4.8× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311520). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within NE, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 12,745 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $4,129.57.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 6 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 6 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 8, 2019 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 15, 2020. Of the 6 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 $41,255.00 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 $6,875.83 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Hiland Ice Cream’s Norfolk facility reveals a troubling concentration of high-gravity violations centered on Process Safety Management (PSM) and electrical infrastructure. The citation of standards 1910.119(d)(3)(ii) and 1910.119(j)(2) indicates a fundamental breakdown in the mechanical integrity and documentation of highly hazardous chemicals, likely anhydrous ammonia used in industrial refrigeration. By failing to maintain accurate process safety information and written inspection procedures, management effectively operated the facility in a "run-to-failure" mode, significantly increasing the risk of a catastrophic release or explosion. The penalty of $41,255 for six violations is notably high for a dairy manufacturing plant of this size, driven primarily by a maximum gravity rating for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) failures under 1910.132(a). This suggests that even when hazards were identified, workers were not provided with the necessary equipment to mitigate exposure. When coupled with the electrical violations regarding wiring methods and workspace clearance (1910.303 and 1910.305), a clear pattern of systemic maintenance neglect emerges. These are not isolated administrative errors; they represent a failure to implement a functional safety management system. For workers, this environment presented daily risks of thermal burns, electrocution, and respiratory distress, reflecting a corporate culture that prioritized production continuity over the rigorous technical requirements of OSHA’s PSM mandate.