SONY MAGNETIC PRODUCTS INC. OF AMERICA

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SONY MAGNETIC PRODUCTS INC. OF AMERICA — a industry sector 00 facility located at 4275 WEST MAIN ST., DOTHAN, AL 36301 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 36 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $552,500.00. The inspection case was opened on 2001-07-17.

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.

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 36 citations spanning 2 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 unclassified — A technical violation that does not fit neatly into the standard classification categories.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning December 21, 1994 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 14, 1995. Of the 36 total citations, 15 (42%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $552,500.00 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 $15,347.22 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2001 enforcement action against Sony Magnetic Products Inc. of America represents a catastrophic failure of systemic safety