SHELL CHEMICAL COMPANY - DIV OF SHELL OIL COMPANY

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SHELL CHEMICAL COMPANY - DIV OF SHELL OIL COMPANY — a industry sector 00 facility located at ROUTE 7 AND ROUTE 618, BELPRE, OH 45714 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 64 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $3,030,625.00. The inspection case was opened on 1996-10-03.

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.

State Context: Within OH, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 91,405 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,818.37.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 64 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 7 unclassified — A technical violation that does not fit neatly into the standard classification categories. 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. 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 November 22, 1994 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 17, 1998. Of the 64 total citations, 12 (19%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $47,353.52 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.

The 1996 enforcement action against Shell Chemical’s Belpre facility represents one of the