PHELPS INDUSTRIES, LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PHELPS INDUSTRIES, LLC — a dog and cat food manufacturing facility located at 400 WEST VENTURE DRIVE, JANESVILLE, WI 53546 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 8 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $69,429.00. The inspection case was opened on 2023-04-20.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $69,429.00 is more than 8.1× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311111). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within WI, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 43,331 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,505.68.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 8 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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. 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning June 12, 2023 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 23, 2023. Of the 8 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $69,429.00 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 $8,678.63 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Phelps Industries reveals a systemic collapse of hazardous energy control protocols, characterized by a dangerous