NORTHWESTERN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, NORTHWESTERN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY — a industry sector 00 facility located at 121 WALLACE STREET, STERLING, IL 61081 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 46 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $429,187.50. The inspection case was opened on 1995-07-20.

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.

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 46 citations spanning 4 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. 3 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 4 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning January 20, 1993 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 17, 1999. Of the 46 total citations, 11 (24%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $429,187.50 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 $9,330.16 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1995 inspection of Northwestern Steel & Wire Company revealed a catastrophic breakdown in safety management,