KAHR ARMS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, KAHR ARMS — a small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing facility located at 130 GODDARD MEMORIAL DR., WORCESTER, MA 01603 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $74,300.00. The inspection case was opened on 2010-11-01.

Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.

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 $74,300.00 is more than 11.5× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 332994). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 4 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. 2 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning January 9, 2009 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 15, 2010. Of the 14 total citations, 13 (93%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $74,300.00 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 $5,307.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Kahr Arms reveals a systemic failure to manage inorganic lead hazards, a critical risk factor in small arms manufacturing. The assessment of $74,300 in penalties—a figure significantly exceeding industry averages for a single inspection—was driven primarily by two "Willful" violations related to lead exposure monitoring and the implementation of engineering controls. Legally, the Willful designation indicates that the employer either acted with intentional disregard for OSHA requirements or demonstrated plain indifference to worker safety. For the workforce, these failures meant a direct risk of chronic lead poisoning, as the facility lacked the necessary structural safeguards to mitigate airborne particulates at their source. The citation pattern underscores