TOWN OF WESTFIELD DEPT. OF PUBLIC WORKS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, TOWN OF WESTFIELD DEPT. OF PUBLIC WORKS — a administrative services facility located at 959 NORTH AVENUE WEST, WESTFIELD, NJ 07090 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 27 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $76,800.00. The inspection case was opened on 2019-12-12.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $76,800.00 is more than 18.5× the national average of $4,155.70 for facilities in the Admin Services sector (NAICS 561210). This sector encompasses 40,441 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $168.1M.

State Context: Within NJ, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 81,999 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,616.41.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 27 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 8 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 7 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 December 19, 2019 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 7, 2020. Of the 27 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 $76,800.00 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 $2,844.44 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against the Town of Westfield Department of Public Works revealed a pervasive breakdown