SMITHFIELD FARMLAND CORP.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SMITHFIELD FARMLAND CORP. — a animal (except poultry) slaughtering facility located at 15885 NC HWY 87 WEST, TAR HEEL, NC 28392 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 49 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $200,425.00. The inspection case was opened on 2014-06-17.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $200,425.00 is more than 23.5× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311611). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within NC, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 88,256 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,699.39.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 49 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 5 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 9 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 December 15, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 31, 2015. Of the 49 total citations, 13 (27%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $200,425.00 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 $4,090.31 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Smithfield Farmland Corp.’s Tar Heel facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety