SMITHFIELD PACKING COMPANY, INCORPORATED

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SMITHFIELD PACKING COMPANY, INCORPORATED — a animal (except poultry) slaughtering facility located at 424 E RAILROAD ST, CLINTON, NC 28328 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $161,525.00. The inspection case was opened on 2013-03-12.

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 $161,525.00 is more than 18.9× 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 14 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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. 3 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning August 13, 2012 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 28, 2012. Of the 14 total citations, 11 (79%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $161,525.00 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 $11,537.50 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2013 enforcement action against this Smithfield Packing facility reveals a profound breakdown