O'HARE PRECISION METALS, LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, O'HARE PRECISION METALS, LLC — a all other miscellaneous fabricated metal product manufacturing facility located at 2404 WEST HAMILTON ROAD, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL 60005 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 17 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $38,073.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-05-25.

Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.

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 $38,073.00 is more than 5.9× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 332999). 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 99th percentile among 88,899 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,496.90.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 17 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 2 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. 10 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 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning February 24, 2003 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 5, 2004. Of the 17 total citations, 15 (88%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $38,073.00 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 $2,239.59 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for O’Hare Precision Metals, LLC reveals a deeply concerning pattern of machine guarding deficiencies and a systemic disregard for basic mechanical safety protocols. The presence of two Willful violations under 1910.212(a)(1) elevates this case significantly, signaling that the employer either acted with intentional disregard for OSHA requirements or demonstrated plain indifference to worker safety. In practical terms, these violations exposed employees to catastrophic amputation and crushing hazards from unguarded points of operation and rotating parts. The fact that these machine guarding issues were accompanied by Repeat violations underscores a failure of the facility’s internal safety audits; management was aware of these specific mechanical hazards from previous inspections yet failed to implement permanent corrective controls. The gravity of the situation is further highlighted by the Serious violations related to Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and mechanical power-transmission apparatus guarding (1910.219). The synergy between missing physical guards and a deficient energy control program creates a high-probability environment for fatal accidents during routine maintenance or clearing jams. While the total penalty of $38,073 reflects the era of the inspection, the concentration of Willful and Repeat citations indicates a facility operating well outside industry norms for fabricated metal product manufacturing. This was not a series of isolated incidents, but rather a pervasive systemic failure where production speed appears to have been prioritized over fundamental mechanical safeguarding and regulatory compliance.