PORTAGE PAPER CO INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PORTAGE PAPER CO INC — a industry sector 00 facility located at 2030 PORTAGE ST, KALAMAZOO, MI 49003 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 34 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $18,750.00. The inspection case was opened on 1997-05-12.

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 MI, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 106,495 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,470.95.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 34 citations spanning 13 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 September 30, 1993 with the latest abatement deadline set for August 16, 1995. Of the 34 total citations, 15 (44%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $18,750.00 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 $551.47 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1997 enforcement action against Portage Paper Co Inc revealed a pervasive environment of industrial