OPTIMA BATTERIES, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, OPTIMA BATTERIES, INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 17500 E. 22ND AVE., AURORA, CO 80011 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 21 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $172,235.00. The inspection case was opened on 1997-11-18.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $172,235.00 is more than 144.0× the national average of $1,195.75 for facilities in the Other sector (NAICS 000000). This sector encompasses 1,316,687 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $1,574.4M.

State Context: Within CO, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 32,935 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,271.13.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 21 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 5 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 7 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. 2 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 1 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 March 6, 1996 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 31, 2001. Of the 21 total citations, 13 (62%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $172,235.00 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 $8,201.67 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Optima Batteries, Inc. represents a significant regulatory intervention, primarily centered on egregious failures to adhere to the OSHA Lead Standard (29 CFR 1910.1025). The assessment of $172,235 in penalties—an