PAT TANK INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PAT TANK INC — a industry sector 00 facility located at 2146 5TH AVE, PORT ARTHUR, TX 77642 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 23 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $20,003.00. The inspection case was opened on 1994-08-29.

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.

State Context: Within TX, this facility's penalty places it at the 98th percentile among 119,485 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,783.80.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 23 citations spanning 11 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 14 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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 October 4, 1994 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 14, 1994. Of the 23 total citations, 15 (65%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $20,003.00 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 $869.70 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for Pat Tank Inc. following the 1994 inspection revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized by a high concentration of Serious violations with maximum gravity ratings. The citation pattern indicated a systemic failure to protect employees from catastrophic life-safety hazards, particularly regarding fall protection (1926.104/105) and crane operations (1926.550). For workers, these deficiencies meant operating in an environment where the most lethal risks—falls from heights and structural collapses—were not mitigated by mandated engineering controls or personal protective equipment. Furthermore, the recurrence of Hazard Communication violations (1926.59) and training failures (1926.21) suggested that