SEA WATCH INTERNATIONAL, LTD

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SEA WATCH INTERNATIONAL, LTD — a seafood product preparation and packaging facility located at 15 ANTONIO L. COSTA AVENUE, NEW BEDFORD, MA 02740 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 15 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $107,034.00. The inspection case was opened on 2020-08-04.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA currently lists this facility under Significant Violation status. EPA penalties total $1,265.00 (Hazardous Waste (RCRA): $1,265.00). Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $107,034.00 is more than 12.6× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311710). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 15 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 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 June 9, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 24, 2021. Of the 15 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 $107,034.00 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 $7,135.60 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Sea Watch International’s New Bedford facility revealed a systemic breakdown in hazardous energy control and core safety management systems. The most striking element of this inspection was the concentration of high-gravity violations under the Control of Hazardous Energy standard (1910.147