NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY — a colleges, universities, and professional schools facility located at 810 NATIONAL AVE, LAS VEGAS, NM 87701 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 9 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $76,208.00. The inspection case was opened on 2021-10-14.

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 2.3 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 0.7 per 100,000 workers.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA currently lists this facility under Violation status. EPA penalties total $391,061.00 (Hazardous Waste (RCRA): $391,061.00). Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $76,208.00 is more than 41.6× the national average of $1,831.95 for facilities in the Education sector (NAICS 611310). This sector encompasses 10,394 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $19.0M.

State Context: Within NM, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 8,892 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,937.30.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 9 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 8 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning April 14, 2022 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 10, 2022. Of the 9 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 $76,208.00 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 $8,467.56 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for New Mexico Highlands University reveals a systemic failure to manage high-risk electrical and mechanical