KOPPERS INDUSTRIES, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, KOPPERS INDUSTRIES, INC. — a wood preservation facility located at 2201 EDMONDS, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR 72117 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 5 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $72,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-11-12.

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 $72,500.00 is more than 8.6× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321114). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within AR, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 15,726 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,714.64.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 5 citations spanning 1 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 4 unclassified — A technical violation that does not fit neatly into the standard classification categories.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 2, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 20, 2005. Of the 5 total citations, 5 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $72,500.00 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 $14,500.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Koppers Industries, Inc. revealed a critical breakdown in safety management, highlighted by the issuance of a maximum-penalty willful violation under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1). The assessment of a $70,000 penalty—