OLYMPIC STEEL

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, OLYMPIC STEEL — a metal service centers and other metal merchant wholesalers facility located at 625 XENIUM LANE N, PLYMOUTH, MN 55441 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 12 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $35,970.00. The inspection case was opened on 2008-12-03.

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 2.6 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 4.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $35,970.00 is more than 6.9× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 423510). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within MN, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 58,337 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,403.06.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 12 citations spanning 11 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning August 30, 1994 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 21, 2012. Of the 12 total citations, 12 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $35,970.00 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 $2,997.50 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Olympic Steel’s Plymouth facility reveals a concentrated breakdown in fundamental machine safeguarding and material