SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION — a petrochemical manufacturing facility located at 100 WURTS ROAD, WURTLAND, KY 41144 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 35 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $94,325.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-04-26.

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.

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 $94,325.00 is more than 11.2× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 325110). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within KY, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 26,562 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,754.01.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 35 citations spanning 12 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 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning August 25, 2011 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 28, 2011. Of the 35 total citations, 15 (43%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $94,325.00 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 $2,695.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Sun Chemical Corporation’s Wurtland facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in safety management systems, characterized by a staggering 35 citations and penalties nearing six figures. The enforcement record highlights a critical concentration of Serious violations within the electrical safety standards (1910.332 and 1910.333) and personal protective equipment (