PRAIRIE FARMS DAIRY INC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PRAIRIE FARMS DAIRY INC — a fluid milk manufacturing facility located at 126 BRADY RD, BATTLE CREEK, MI 49037 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 23 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $17,700.00. The inspection case was opened on 2019-01-08.

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.

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 $17,700.00 is more than 2.1× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311511). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

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 23 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 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 May 5, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for May 11, 2016. Of the 23 total citations, 8 (35%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $17,700.00 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 $769.57 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for this Battle Creek dairy facility reveals a pervasive systemic failure in Process Safety Management (PSM), specifically concerning the highly hazardous chemicals—likely anhydrous ammonia—utilized in industrial refrigeration. The concentration of violations under 29 CFR 1910.119, spanning from Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and Process Safety Information (PSI