THE PAPER TIGERS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, THE PAPER TIGERS — a recyclable material merchant wholesalers facility located at 200 S BYRD, PINE BLUFF, AR 71601 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 40 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $51,875.00. The inspection case was opened on 2009-09-22.

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.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.6 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 4.4 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $51,875.00 is more than 10.0× the national average of $5,185.75 for facilities in the Wholesale sector (NAICS 423930). This sector encompasses 30,869 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $160.1M.

State Context: Within AR, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 15,726 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,714.64.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 40 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 13 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. 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 January 12, 2010 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 26, 2010. Of the 40 total citations, 15 (38%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $51,875.00 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 $1,296.88 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for The Paper Tigers revealed a pervasive failure to manage high-risk energy control and