THE SMITHFIELD PACKING COMPANY, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, THE SMITHFIELD PACKING COMPANY, INC. — a animal (except poultry) slaughtering facility located at 601 N. CHURCH STREET, SMITHFIELD, VA 23430 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 19 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $26,019.00. The inspection case was opened on 2016-04-20.

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 3.3 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 $26,019.00 is more than 3.1× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311611). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within VA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 62,574 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,237.86.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 19 citations spanning 1 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 August 9, 2016 with the latest abatement deadline set for June 30, 2017. Of the 19 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 $26,019.00 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 $1,369.42 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2016 enforcement action against The Smithfield Packing Company reveals a pervasive