JOHN DEERE OTTUMWA WORKS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, JOHN DEERE OTTUMWA WORKS — a farm machinery and equipment manufacturing facility located at 928 E. VINE STREET, OTTUMWA, IA 52501 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 43 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $40,165.50. The inspection case was opened on 2013-10-22.

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 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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: Clean Air Act, RCRA Hazardous Waste, Toxics Release Inventory. Toxic Release Inventory reports 15223 lbs in releases/transfers. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $40,165.50 is more than 6.2× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 333111). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 43 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning September 11, 1991 with the latest abatement deadline set for March 12, 2009. Of the 43 total citations, 15 (35%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $40,165.50 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 $934.08 falls within the standard penalty range.

Penalty Analysis:* $40k for 43 violations might seem low per-item, but