THE RITZ CARLTON

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, THE RITZ CARLTON — a hotels (except casino hotels) and motels facility located at 6900 GREAT BAY, ST THOMAS, VI 00802 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 35 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $21,472.50. The inspection case was opened on 2012-08-02.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.6 per 100 full-time workers — 33% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 1.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $21,472.50 is more than 7.7× the national average of $2,782.05 for facilities in the Food Services sector (NAICS 721110). This sector encompasses 22,815 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $63.5M.

State Context: Within VI, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 3,127 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,798.47.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 35 citations spanning 7 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 2 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 23, 2006 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 27, 2006. Of the 35 total citations, 13 (37%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $21,472.50 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 $613.50 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of this luxury resort property revealed a pervasive and systemic failure to maintain basic industrial safety standards, an anomaly for the high-end hospitality sector which typically prioritizes risk mitigation. With 35 total violations, the enforcement record indicates a breakdown in the facility’s internal safety auditing and engineering controls. The concentration of citations under 1910.215 regarding abrasive wheel machinery—specifically missing work rests and tongue guards—exposed maintenance staff to severe laceration and projectile hazards from potential wheel explosions. This physical hazard was compounded by significant electrical non-compliance (1910.303, .304, .305), suggesting that back-of-