HOWARD FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HOWARD FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC. — a fertilizer (mixing only) manufacturing facility located at 7205 S.R. 50 EAST, GROVELAND, FL 34736 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 109 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $250,570.30. The inspection case was opened on 2007-10-03.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $250,570.30 is more than 29.8× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 325314). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within FL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 80,682 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,815.86.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 109 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 11 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 March 28, 2008 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 3, 2008. Of the 109 total citations, 12 (11%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $250,570.30 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 $2,298.81 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Howard Fertilizer & Chemical Company, Inc. reveals a catastrophic systemic failure in safety management