WATERLOO PROCESSING, LLC

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WATERLOO PROCESSING, LLC — a leather and hide tanning and finishing facility located at 4455 REMINGTON ROAD, WATERLOO, IA 50703 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 40 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $443,729.00. The inspection case was opened on 2019-10-08.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

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 $443,729.00 is more than 52.0× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 316110). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 40 citations spanning 8 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 14 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 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 May 25, 2017 with the latest abatement deadline set for December 20, 2019. Of the 40 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 $443,729.00 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 $11,093.23 falls within the standard penalty range.

The enforcement action against Waterloo Processing, LLC, characterized by a staggering $443,729