WATCO, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WATCO, INC. — a industry sector 00 facility located at 100 SMELTER ROAD, EAST HELENA, MT 59635 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 23 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $10,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 1997-11-19.

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.

State Context: Within MT, this facility's penalty places it at the 97th percentile among 9,480 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,110.71.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 23 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 March 27, 1998 with the latest abatement deadline set for April 29, 1998. Of the 23 total citations, 14 (61%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The total proposed penalty of $10,000.00 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.