RED RIVER COMMODITIES, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, RED RIVER COMMODITIES, INC. — a other animal food manufacturing facility located at 340 40TH STREET NW, FARGO, ND 58102 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $225,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2020-08-25.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

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 $225,000.00 is more than 26.4× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311119). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within ND, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 7,285 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,884.40.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 7 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 2 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 February 12, 2021 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 1, 2021. Of the 14 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 $225,000.00 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 $16,071.43 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2020 enforcement action against Red River Commodities reflects a catastrophic breakdown in safety management regarding high