WA317980692 - U HAUL OF WESTERN WASHINGTON

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WA317980692 - U HAUL OF WESTERN WASHINGTON — a truck, utility trailer, and rv (recreational vehicle) rental and leasing facility located at 4110 E SPRAGUE AVE., SPOKANE, WA 99202 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 17 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $231,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2024-06-13.

This facility represents one of the most severe enforcement actions in the OSHA SVEP database. Willful violations combined with penalties exceeding $100,000 indicate a pattern of deliberate non-compliance that poses an imminent danger to workers.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 2.5 per 100 full-time workers — near the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 3.3 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $231,000.00 is more than 72.5× the national average of $3,186.32 for facilities in the Other sector (NAICS 532120). This sector encompasses 8,577 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $27.3M.

State Context: Within WA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 126,183 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $1,683.96.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 17 citations spanning 0 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 6 willful — The employer intentionally and knowingly committed the violation, demonstrating either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 9 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 November 22, 2024 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 25, 2024. Of the 17 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 $231,000.00 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 $13,588.24 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement record for this Spokane facility reveals a catastrophic failure in asbestos management, characterized by a staggering six willful