KURT WEISS GREENHOUSES OF CONNECTICUT INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, KURT WEISS GREENHOUSES OF CONNECTICUT INC. — a floriculture production facility located at 301 EAST JOHNSON AVENUE, CHESHIRE, CT 06401 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 18 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $39,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-10-18.

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 5.2 per 100 full-time workers — 93% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 20.1 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $39,500.00 is more than 13.5× the national average of $2,920.96 for facilities in the Agriculture sector (NAICS 111422). This sector encompasses 23,483 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $68.6M.

State Context: Within CT, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 33,669 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,368.63.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 18 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 3 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 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. 5 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 March 25, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 8, 2012. Of the 18 total citations, 12 (67%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $39,500.00 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 $2,194.44 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Kurt Weiss Greenhouses of Connecticut Inc. reveals a systemic failure in fundamental safety management, characterized