OPTIMA BATTERY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, OPTIMA BATTERY — a industry sector 00 facility located at 5 E. MISSISSIPPI AVE., DENVER, CO 80210 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 29 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $58,700.00. The inspection case was opened on 1995-09-06.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $58,700.00 is more than 49.1× 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 29 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 2 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 3 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 6 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 4 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning June 6, 1994 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 1, 1996. Of the 29 total citations, 13 (45%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $58,700.00 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 $2,024.14 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Optima Battery reveals a catastrophic breakdown in lead safety management, characterized by a high concentration of Willful and Repeat violations that signal a systemic disregard for worker health. The heavy reliance on 29 CFR 1910.1025 standards underscores a failure to manage the primary industrial hygiene risk of battery manufacturing: chronic lead exposure.