LUCAS OIL PRODUCTION STUDIOS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, LUCAS OIL PRODUCTION STUDIOS — a motion picture and video production facility located at 701 S ROONEY RD, LITTLETON, CO 80401 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 4 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $60,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-06-23.

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 1.2 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 1.5 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $60,000.00 is more than 18.7× the national average of $3,202.96 for facilities in the Information sector (NAICS 512110). This sector encompasses 4,045 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $13.0M.

State Context: Within CO, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 32,935 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,271.13.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 4 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 3 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning December 13, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 6, 2011. Of the 4 total citations, 4 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $60,000.00 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 $15,000.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Lucas Oil Production Studios revealed a profound breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized by high-gravity violations that deviated significantly from the safety performance typically expected in the motion picture and video production industry. The imposition of a $60,000 penalty for only four citations signaled an aggressive enforcement posture, particularly concerning the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) violations. One specific 5(a)(1) citation carried a $39,000 penalty, an exceptionally high figure for a single serious violation, suggesting that inspectors identified hazards with a high probability of resulting in death or permanent disability. The practical implications for workers were severe; the absence of a robust Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program under 1910.147(c)(1) meant employees were exposed to the risk of unexpected energization or release of stored energy during equipment maintenance. Furthermore, the 1904.39(a) violation for failing to report a fatality or catastrophe indicated a critical failure in regulatory transparency. This combination of standard-specific deficiencies and General Duty Clause citations pointed toward a systemic