NDK CRYSTALS, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, NDK CRYSTALS, INC. — a manufacturing facility located at 701 CRYSTAL PARKWAY, BELVIDERE, IL 61008 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 20 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $180,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2009-12-07.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $180,000.00 is more than 28.0× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 334419). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within IL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 88,899 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,496.90.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 20 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 11 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 4 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 May 27, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 29, 2010. Of the 20 total citations, 8 (40%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $180,000.00 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 $9,000.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for NDK Crystals, Inc. following the 2009 inspection reveals a catastrophic failure of safety management, characterized by an egregious reliance on the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) to address high-energy hazards. The assessment of multiple Willful violations with a maximum gravity rating of 10 signifies that management possessed actual knowledge of life-threatening conditions—specifically