STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION — a public administration facility located at I-5 NORTH FREEWAY AVENIDA PALIZADA NORTH ON-RAMP, SAN CLEMENTE, CA 92672 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 2 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $86,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2024-07-22.
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.
Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $86,000.00 is more than 56.6× the national average of $1,518.52 for facilities in the Public Admin sector (NAICS 926120). This sector encompasses 25,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $39.4M.
State Context: Within CA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 184,062 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,010.44.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 2 citations spanning 0 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 2 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 January 17, 2025 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 6, 2025. Of the 2 total citations, 0 (0%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.
Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $43,000.00 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.
The enforcement action against the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) at the I-5 San Clemente site