PORTAC INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PORTAC INC — a industry sector 00 facility located at 4215 EAST-WEST RD, TACOMA, WA 98421 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $36,560.00. The inspection case was opened on 1996-06-06.

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 WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 10 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 11 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 January 24, 1991 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 8, 1997. Of the 14 total citations, 11 (79%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $36,560.00 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 $2,611.43 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1996 enforcement action against Portac Inc. revealed a profoundly compromised safety culture characterized by