NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO — a plastics pipe and pipe fitting manufacturing facility located at 2501 S. WEST STREET, WICHITA, KS 67217 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 11 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $46,812.00. The inspection case was opened on 2021-10-12.

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 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 $46,812.00 is more than 5.6× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326122). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 11 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 11 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 December 2, 2021 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 29, 2021. Of the 11 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 $46,812.00 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 $4,255.64 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of this National Oilwell Varco facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized