OAKHURST DAIRY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, OAKHURST DAIRY — a fluid milk manufacturing facility located at 364 FOREST AVENUE, PORTLAND, ME 04101 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 28 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $27,332.00. The inspection case was opened on 2019-07-10.

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.

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 currently lists this facility under Unknown status. regulated under: Clean Water Act. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $27,332.00 is more than 3.2× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311511). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within ME, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 16,330 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,022.91.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 28 citations spanning 10 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 28, 2002 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 1, 2010. Of the 28 total citations, 15 (54%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $27,332.00 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 $976.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

Oakhurst Dairy’s 2019 inspection record reveals a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety controls, characterized by 28 citations that signal systemic operational neglect rather than isolated lapses. The citation pattern highlights critical deficiencies in high-risk areas, specifically Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) and electrical safety standards. By failing to implement adequate machine-specific procedures and periodic inspections under 1910.147, the facility exposed maintenance personnel to catastrophic risks, including crushing injuries and electrocution during equipment servicing. The presence of General Duty Clause (5A0001) violations further suggests that management failed to address recognized hazards even where specific standards might not have been exhaustive, indicating a reactive safety culture. While the individual penalties remained relatively low, the sheer volume of "Serious" violations across diverse domains—ranging from machine guarding and abrasive wheel machinery to electrical training and PPE assessments—points to a failure in the facility’s safety management system (SMS). For a dairy processing environment, the combination of wet conditions and electrical non-compliance (1910.332 and 1910.333) represents an acute danger of arc flash or lethal shock. The aggregate penalty of $27,332 reflects a moderate enforcement stance, yet the breadth of the citations serves as a significant red flag for auditors, suggesting that the facility lacked the internal oversight necessary to maintain basic OSHA compliance across its production lines.