US MAGNESIUM LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, US MAGNESIUM LLC — a manufacturing facility located at ROWLEY, UTAH FACILITY, GRANTSVILLE, UT 84029 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 72 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $1,228,900.00. The inspection case was opened on 2004-10-05.

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 $1,228,900.00 is more than 190.9× the national average of $6,436.62 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 331419). This sector encompasses 82,943 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $533.9M.

State Context: Within UT, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 21,375 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,557.94.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 72 citations spanning 3 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 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 April 7, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for July 16, 2014. Of the 72 total citations, 6 (8%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The per-citation average of $17,068.06 exceeds OSHA's FY2024 statutory maximum of $16,131 for serious violations, indicating the presence of willful or repeat classifications that carry enhanced penalty authority under Section 17 of the OSH Act.

The 2004 enforcement action against US Magnesium LLC represents a catastrophic breakdown in Process Safety Management (PSM) protocols within a high-hazard chemical environment. With total penalties exceeding $1.2 million and 72 citations, this case stands as a significant outlier for the primary nonferrous metal smelting sector, where average penalties typically fall well below seven figures. The heavy concentration of violations under 29 CFR 1910.119—specifically regarding mechanical integrity (J02, J03), process hazard analysis (E01), and operating procedures (F01)—indicates that the facility was operating with systemic deficiencies in its ability to contain hazardous energy and prevent catastrophic chemical releases. The recurring nature of these citations suggests a management culture that prioritized production over the fundamental engineering controls required for safe operation. For workers, these failures translated into an environment where the risk of explosions, toxic exposures, and thermal incidents was constant and unmitigated. The gravity of the 1910.119 violations, coupled with the sheer volume of serious citations, points toward a willful disregard for the structural requirements of a safe workplace. From a legal and compliance perspective, the scale of this penalty served as a clear regulatory signal that the facility’s lack of written safety procedures and failure to maintain critical equipment was viewed not as an isolated lapse, but as a pervasive institutional failure necessitating aggressive federal intervention to prevent a mass-casualty event.