NMSU BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, NMSU BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT — a industry sector 00 facility located at NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY, LAS CRUCES, NM 88001 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 27 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $42,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 1993-04-28.

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.

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 27 citations spanning 10 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 13 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 2 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 July 22, 1993 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 1, 1993. Of the 27 total citations, 15 (56%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $42,500.00 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 $1,574.07 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1993 enforcement action against the NMSU Biology Department revealed a systemic collapse of