JIM WALES FARMS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, JIM WALES FARMS — a water and sewer line and related structures construction facility located at 38342 NORTH SCHNEPF ROAD, QUEEN CREEK, AZ 85242 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $25,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2005-03-21.

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 2.8 per 100 full-time workers — 4% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 9.6 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $25,000.00 is more than 6.9× the national average of $3,609.14 for facilities in the Construction sector (NAICS 237110). This sector encompasses 532,749 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $1,922.8M.

State Context: Within AZ, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 28,263 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,378.92.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 7 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 2 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning April 15, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 6, 2005. Of the 9 total citations, 7 (78%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $25,000.00 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 $2,777.78 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Jim Wales Farms reveals a comprehensive breakdown in trenching and excavation safety protocols, indicative of systemic operational negligence rather than isolated lapses. The citation of Standard 1926.652(a)(1) alongside 1926.651(k)(1) suggests that workers were exposed to catastrophic cave-in risks without the protection of shoring or sloping systems, compounded by the absence of a competent person to identify and mitigate these hazards. For the workforce, this meant performing high-risk utility construction in unstable environments where the probability of a fatal entrapment was significantly elevated. The inclusion of violations for inadequate head protection and lack of safe egress (1926.651(c)(2)) further underscores a culture that bypassed fundamental life-safety requirements. The penalty total of $25,000, while appearing moderate in a modern context, represented a