SOUTHERN FIBER OF WASHINGTON L
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SOUTHERN FIBER OF WASHINGTON L — a all other miscellaneous textile product mills facility located at 1441 BISHOP RD, CHEHALIS, WA 98532 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 12 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $14,600.00. The inspection case was opened on 2014-10-20.
The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.
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 $14,600.00 is 71% above the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 314999). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.
State Context: Within WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 12 citations spanning 11 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 4 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 7 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.
Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning March 24, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for September 30, 2014. Of the 12 total citations, 10 (83%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.
Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $14,600.00 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 $1,216.67 falls within the standard penalty range.