HOSPITAL LAUNDRY SERVICE

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HOSPITAL LAUNDRY SERVICE — a industrial launderers facility located at 45 S. 7TH STREET WEST, BILLINGS, MT 59102 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $21,525.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-05-02.

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 2.0 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 3.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $21,525.00 is more than 7.5× the national average of $2,870.27 for facilities in the Other Services sector (NAICS 812332). This sector encompasses 29,798 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $85.5M.

State Context: Within MT, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 9,480 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,110.71.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 10 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 14 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 August 14, 2013 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 30, 2013. Of the 14 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 $21,525.00 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 $1,537.50 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2013 inspection of Hospital Laundry Service revealed a deeply entrenched pattern of systemic safety failures, particularly concerning the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) and machinery safeguarding. The concentration of citations under 1910.147—specifically regarding periodic inspections (C06), training (C07), and lockout application (D04)—indicates a critical breakdown in the facility’s energy control program. For workers, these omissions transformed routine maintenance on industrial washers and dryers into high-risk activities susceptible to crushing injuries or electrocution. The high gravity ratings assigned to the majority of these violations reflect a significant probability of permanent disability or fatality. Furthermore, the confluence of machine guarding deficiencies (1910.212 and 1910.219) and electrical installation errors (1910.303 and 1910.305) suggests that physical hazards were pervasive throughout the production floor. The $21,525 penalty total is notably high for a single-location commercial laundry, signaling that OSHA identified a comprehensive lack of institutional oversight rather than isolated technical errors. The absence of adequate emergency eyewash facilities (1910.151) further compounded the risk profile, leaving employees vulnerable to chemical exposures inherent in hospital-grade sanitation. Collectively, these citations depict a facility where fundamental safety engineering and administrative controls were secondary to operational throughput, necessitating a complete overhaul of the safety management system to achieve regulatory compliance.