U.S. BATTERY MFG. AUGUSTA, INC.
According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, U.S. BATTERY MFG. AUGUSTA, INC. — a manufacturing facility located at 1895 TOBACCO RD, AUGUSTA, GA 30906 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 14 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $106,360.00. The inspection case was opened on 2018-10-16.
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 $106,360.00 is more than 16.5× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 335912). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.
State Context: Within GA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 48,956 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,799.18.
Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 14 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 10 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 2 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order. 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.
Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning March 5, 2019 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 20, 2020. Of the 14 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 $106,360.00 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 $7,597.14 falls within the standard penalty range.
The enforcement profile for this battery manufacturing facility reveals a systemic failure to manage chronic health hazards, specifically regarding lead and inorganic arsenic exposure. The assessment of $106,360 in penalties—a figure significantly higher than the industry average for a single inspection—is primarily driven by the "Repeat" classification of violations under the Lead Standard (1910.1025). These repeats indicate that management failed to rectify previously identified deficiencies in engineering controls and housekeeping, transforming known risks into persistent occupational hazards. For the workforce, these citations translate to