SUNSET TREE SERVICES & LANDSCAPING LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, SUNSET TREE SERVICES & LANDSCAPING LLC — a landscaping services facility located at 106 S. CHILSON, BAY CITY, MI 48707 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 6 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $84,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2017-01-11.

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.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.8 per 100 full-time workers — 4% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 5.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $84,000.00 is more than 20.2× the national average of $4,155.70 for facilities in the Admin Services sector (NAICS 561730). This sector encompasses 40,441 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $168.1M.

State Context: Within MI, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 106,495 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,470.95.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 6 citations spanning 0 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 6 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 March 15, 2017 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 3, 2017. Of the 6 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 cumulative penalty of $84,000.00 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 $14,000.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Sunset Tree Services & Landscaping LLC reveals a catastrophic failure of safety management, characterized by a