STAR ENTERPRISE

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, STAR ENTERPRISE — a industry sector 00 facility located at 2000 WRANGLE HILL ROAD, DELAWARE CITY, DE 19706 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 42 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $42,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 1990-08-17.

Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.

State Context: Within DE, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 5,902 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $4,743.73.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 42 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 14 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 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 February 12, 1991 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 13, 1991. Of the 42 total citations, 15 (36%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $42,000.00 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 $1,000.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1990 inspection of Star Enterprise revealed a pervasive breakdown in chemical safety management and emergency preparedness, characterized by a dangerous intersection of systemic negligence and acute toxic exposure risks. The enforcement record is anchored by a Willful violation of 1910.1000(a)(1), carrying a significant $8,000 penalty. This legal designation indicates that management either acted with intentional disregard for worker safety or demonstrated plain indifference to exceeding permissible exposure limits for hazardous air contaminants. Such a finding elevates the facility’s liability profile, as it suggests the employer was aware of the toxic concentrations but failed to implement necessary engineering controls or respiratory protections. Furthermore, the concentration of citations under 1910.120 (HAZWOPER) and 1910.1200 (Hazard Communication) highlights a fundamental failure in organizational readiness. The repeated Serious violations regarding emergency response operations (1910.120(q)) suggest that workers were tasked with responding to hazardous releases without the requisite training, planning, or technical oversight. When coupled with the lack of a functional hazard communication program, these deficiencies created a high-gravity environment where employees were likely unable to identify, much less safely mitigate, chemical threats. The total penalty of $42,000—exceptionally high for the 1990 regulatory era—reflects an enforcement strategy aimed at penalizing a broad culture of non-compliance rather than isolated technical lapses. This pattern indicates a facility where safety was reactive rather than integrated into the operational infrastructure.