HUHTAMAKI, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, HUHTAMAKI, INC. — a all other converted paper product manufacturing facility located at 242 COLLEGE AVENUE, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $48,016.30. The inspection case was opened on 2020-06-05.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $48,016.30 is more than 5.7× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 322299). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within ME, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 16,330 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,022.91.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 3 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 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 November 4, 2019 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 14, 2023. Of the 9 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 $48,016.30 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 $5,335.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record at the Huhtamaki facility in Waterville reveals a systemic breakdown in hazardous energy control and mechanical safeguarding, particularly concerning for a high-output molded pulp manufacturing environment. The heavy concentration of citations under 29 CFR 1910.147 suggests that management failed to implement a rigorous Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program, specifically regarding the development of machine-specific procedures and the execution of mandatory periodic inspections. For workers, these deficiencies translated into a high-probability risk of crushing injuries or amputations during equipment maintenance and clearing operations. The gravity-10 rating assigned to the machine guarding violation (1910.219) for unguarded