YELLOWSTONE PLASTICS, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, YELLOWSTONE PLASTICS, INC. — a plastics bag and pouch manufacturing facility located at 3725 W. 65TH STREET SOUTH, IDAHO FALLS, ID 83402 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 28 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $49,634.00. The inspection case was opened on 2011-06-22.

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.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. EPA penalties total $28,076.00 (Hazardous Waste (RCRA): $28,076.00). Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $49,634.00 is more than 5.9× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326111). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within ID, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 11,860 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,249.74.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 28 citations spanning 11 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 10 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 5 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 October 24, 2002 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 22, 2017. Of the 28 total citations, 11 (39%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $49,634.00 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 $1,772.64 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Yellowstone Plastics, Inc. revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety management systems, characterized by 28 citations that signal systemic rather than isolated failures. The presence of high-gravity Serious violations under 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout) and 1910.28 (Fall Protection) indicates a critical exposure to life-altering risks, specifically regarding machine guarding and energy isolation. For workers, these deficiencies translate into a heightened probability of amputation, crushing injuries, or fatal falls during routine maintenance and production cycles. The $8,000 penalty for Lockout/Tagout—assigned the highest gravity rating of 10—underscores a significant regulatory concern regarding the facility's failure to establish a comprehensive energy control program. Furthermore, the breadth of electrical violations (1910.303, 1910.304, 1910.305) and egress obstructions (1910.36, 1910.37) suggests a lack of basic facility oversight and a failure to maintain a safe physical environment. When analyzed alongside the noise monitoring and record-keeping omissions, the data reflects a corporate culture that neglected proactive hazard identification. The total penalty exceeding $49,000 is substantially higher than the industry average for plastics packaging manufacturers of this size, reflecting the cumulative risk posed by the sheer volume of hazards. This enforcement profile suggests that management failed to implement a cohesive safety and health management system, leaving employees vulnerable to a wide spectrum of preventable industrial accidents.