VENTURA FOODS, LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, VENTURA FOODS, LLC — a mayonnaise, dressing, and other prepared sauce manufacturing facility located at 500 SOUTH PRAIRIE AVENUE, WAUKESHA, WI 53186 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 23 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $28,750.00. The inspection case was opened on 2005-03-18.

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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: RCRA Hazardous Waste. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $28,750.00 is more than 3.4× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311941). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within WI, this facility's penalty places it at the 98th percentile among 43,331 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,505.68.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 23 citations spanning 9 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 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. 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning August 9, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 15, 2006. Of the 23 total citations, 10 (43%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $28,750.00 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 $1,250.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement profile for Ventura Foods, LLC reveals a fragmented safety culture characterized by systemic deficiencies in Hazard Communication (HazCom) and fundamental physical safeguarding. The concentration of high-gravity serious violations under 29 CFR 1910.1200—specifically regarding the absence of a written program, inadequate access to safety data sheets, and a failure to provide effective training—indicates a significant administrative breakdown in chemical safety management. In a food manufacturing context, where corrosive cleaning agents and chemical additives are prevalent, these gaps exposed workers to acute chemical exposure risks without the requisite knowledge for mitigation or emergency response. The concurrent citation of machine guarding