WAREHOUSE GROCERIES, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WAREHOUSE GROCERIES, INC. — a supermarkets and other grocery retailers (except convenience retailers) facility located at 936 EAST PARK AVENUE, FAIRMONT, WV 26554 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 8 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $19,200.00. The inspection case was opened on 2003-11-12.

Federal investigators determined that one or more violations at this facility were committed willfully — meaning the employer either knowingly failed to comply with OSHA standards or acted with plain indifference to employee safety. Willful violations carry the highest penalty multipliers under the OSH Act.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.1 per 100 full-time workers — 15% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.2 per 100,000 workers.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $19,200.00 is more than 6.0× the national average of $3,207.45 for facilities in the Retail sector (NAICS 445110). This sector encompasses 30,308 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $97.2M.

State Context: Within WV, this facility's penalty places it at the 98th percentile among 14,536 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,060.20.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 8 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 6 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 1 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.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning December 30, 2003 with the latest abatement deadline set for February 27, 2004. Of the 8 total citations, 8 (100%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, indicating substantial compliance with corrective action requirements.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $19,200.00 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 $2,400.00 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Warehouse Groceries, Inc. revealed a critical breakdown in life safety protocols, characterized by