PREFERRED MEAL SYSTEMS, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, PREFERRED MEAL SYSTEMS, INC. — a frozen specialty food manufacturing facility located at 4135 BIRNEY AVENUE, SCRANTON, PA 18507 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 10 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $11,942.00. The inspection case was opened on 2018-07-19.

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 $11,942.00 is 40% above the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311412). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within PA, this facility's penalty places it at the 96th percentile among 84,409 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,015.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 10 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 7 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 29, 1985 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 16, 2018. Of the 10 total citations, 5 (50%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $11,942.00 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 $1,194.20 falls within the standard penalty range.