O.K. FOODS, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, O.K. FOODS, INC. — a poultry processing facility located at N. 6TH ST. & REED LN., FORT SMITH, AR 72904 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 15 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $54,800.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-04-06.

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 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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA Hazardous Waste. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $54,800.00 is more than 6.4× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311615). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within AR, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 15,726 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,714.64.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 15 citations spanning 12 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 9 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 5 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 1 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 26, 1993 with the latest abatement deadline set for July 9, 2004. Of the 15 total citations, 12 (80%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $54,800.00 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 $3,653.33 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for this poultry processing facility revealed a breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized by a high-gravity repeat violation that significantly inflated the total penalty to $54,800. The most critical finding was the $35,000 repeat citation under 1910.242(a), indicating that management failed to ensure hand and portable powered tools were maintained in a safe condition despite prior warnings. In the high-speed environment of poultry processing, such negligence directly exposes workers to lacerations, repetitive motion trauma