WARD PROCESSING, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WARD PROCESSING, INC. — a polystyrene foam product manufacturing facility located at 6 OCTOBER HILL ROAD, HOLLISTON, MA 01746 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 13 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $6,400.00. The inspection case was opened on 2006-06-16.

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.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $6,400.00 is 24% below the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326140). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within MA, this facility's penalty places it at the 90th percentile among 60,671 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,824.83.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 13 citations spanning 10 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 7 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 6 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 3, 1995 with the latest abatement deadline set for January 29, 2007. Of the 13 total citations, 13 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The total proposed penalty of $6,400.00 falls within OSHA's standard enforcement range and may have been adjusted through informal settlement conference procedures, penalty reduction factors, or good faith credit for demonstrated safety and health management systems.