SEARS ROEBUCK & CO #2166

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SEARS ROEBUCK & CO #2166 — a retail trade facility located at 5901 UNIVERSITY DRIVE NW, HUNTSVILLE, AL 35810 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 7 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $84,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2012-05-18.

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 3.1 per 100 full-time workers — 15% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.2 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $84,000.00 is more than 13.0× the national average of $6,467.77 for facilities in the Retail sector (NAICS 452111). This sector encompasses 10,854 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $70.2M.

State Context: Within AL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 30,935 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,893.70.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 7 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 3 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 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 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 27, 2011 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 20, 2012. Of the 7 total citations, 4 (57%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $84,000.00 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 $12,000.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2012 enforcement action against this Sears Roebuck & Co. location reveals a