KRONOSPAN LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, KRONOSPAN LLC — a manufacturing facility located at 1 KRONOSPAN WAY, EASTABOGA, AL 36260 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 15 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $91,437.90. The inspection case was opened on 2013-01-16.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $91,437.90 is more than 10.9× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321219). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within AL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 30,935 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,893.70.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 15 citations spanning 7 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 April 24, 2013 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 28, 2024. Of the 15 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 $91,437.90 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 $6,095.86 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Kronospan LLC’s Eastaboga facility reveals a deeply concerning pattern of systemic failure regarding fundamental machine safety and hazardous energy control. The high concentration of violations under 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout) and 1910.212/213 (Machine Guarding) suggests that workers were routinely exposed to catastrophic amputation and crushing risks during both normal operations and equipment maintenance. The assessment of maximum gravity (10) for General Duty Clause and housekeeping violations indicates that the facility maintained an environment where recognized hazards were ignored, likely exacerbated by poor floor maintenance and combustible dust accumulation typical of NAICS 321219. The penalty total, exceeding $91,000 for a single inspection period, is significantly higher than the industry average for wood product manufacturing, signaling that OSHA inspectors identified pervasive rather than isolated lapses. Of particular note is the repeated failure to implement specific energy control procedures (1910.147(c)(4)(i)) and training (1910