WESTERN INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, WESTERN INDUSTRIES CORPORATION — a wood container and pallet manufacturing facility located at 2530 S. SOUTHEAST DRIVE, WICHITA, KS 67216 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 13 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $35,232.00. The inspection case was opened on 2020-09-22.

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 $35,232.00 is more than 4.2× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 321920). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within KS, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,826 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $3,225.89.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 13 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 11 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. 1 repeat — A substantially similar violation was found during a previous inspection and the original citation has become a final order.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning May 10, 2016 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 12, 2020. Of the 13 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 $35,232.00 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 $2,710.15 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Western Industries Corporation’s Wichita facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety controls, characterized by