WEST POINT PEPPERELL, INC., OPELIKA MILL

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WEST POINT PEPPERELL, INC., OPELIKA MILL — a industry sector 00 facility located at 2401 C 1ST AVE., OPELIKA, AL 36801 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 41 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $218,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 1988-07-15.

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.

State Context: Within AL, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 30,935 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,893.70.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 41 citations spanning 4 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 15 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 January 10, 1989 with the latest abatement deadline set for October 30, 1989. Of the 41 total citations, 15 (37%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $218,000.00 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 $5,317.07 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 1988 inspection of the Opelika Mill revealed a profound and systemic disregard for the