HILLSDALE ELEVATOR COMPANY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HILLSDALE ELEVATOR COMPANY — a farm product warehousing and storage facility located at 116 PROGRESS LANE, GENESEO, IL 61254 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 19 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $552,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-02-21.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 4.6 per 100 full-time workers — 70% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 14.0 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $552,000.00 is more than 99.6× the national average of $5,543.54 for facilities in the Transportation sector (NAICS 493130). This sector encompasses 12,040 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $66.7M.

State Context: Within IL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 88,899 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,496.90.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 19 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 3 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 January 24, 2011 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 17, 2011. Of the 19 total citations, 15 (79%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $29,052.63 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.

The enforcement record for Hillsdale Elevator Company reflects a catastrophic failure of safety management, characterized by a staggering $552,000 penalty that far exceeds industry averages for farm product warehousing. The prevalence of multiple Willful violations under 29 CFR 1910.272, specifically regarding grain bin entry (G01) and the absence of required observers (G06), indicates that management demonstrated a "plain indifference" to life