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Inspection outcome
Opened: July 19, 2018 · Closed: May 23, 2019
Major citations

OSHA issued serious-tier citations with significant penalties.

Safety inspection · Referral · Partial — limited to specific operations or areas

Violations6
Serious+1
Initial penalty$78,200
Current penalty$30,385
Accidents0
Duration308d
Summary

What happened in this inspection

On July 19, 2018, OSHA opened Kern Oil & Refining Co.’s inspection #343331542 at BAKERSFIELD, California. The case was administratively closed on May 23, 2019, 308 days after opening.

OSHA cited the employer for 6 violations totaling $30,385 in current penalties — reduced from an initial proposed total of $78,200. Of those, 1 was classified as Serious or worse.

Breakdown by classification
6violations total
Serious467%

A Serious violation is one where there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew (or should have known) of the hazard. Maximum penalty is ~$16,550 per violation. The majority of OSHA citations fall into this category.

Other-than-serious233%

An Other-than-serious violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. Maximum penalty is ~$16,550 per violation. Often involves recordkeeping or procedural lapses.

Citations

Citations issued in this inspection

6citations issued
$30,385current penalty
↓ $47,815total reduction
Look up on OSHA.gov
Othergravity 10
Citation #01001
6815(C)General Duty Clause or unstructured citation
Initial$850
Current$850
Othergravity 10
Citation #01002
6828(A)General Duty Clause or unstructured citation
Initial$850
Current$850
Seriousgravity 10
Citation #02001
29 CFR 5189.1(f)(1)View full regulation text on OSHA.gov
Initial$19,125
Current$0reduced by $19,125
Seriousgravity 10
Citation #03001
29 CFR 5189.1(f)(6)View full regulation text on OSHA.gov
Initial$19,125
Current$9,560reduced by $9,565
Seriousgravity 10
Citation #04001
29 CFR 5189.1(g)(2)View full regulation text on OSHA.gov
Initial$19,125
Current$0reduced by $19,125
Serious
Citation #05001
3220(E)(2)(B)General Duty Clause or unstructured citation
Initial$19,125
Current$19,125

Standard codes link to the regulation text on OSHA.gov. The text describes the rule itself; the specific findings of this inspection appear above. To see OSHA’s official record of this inspection, search activity number 343331542 at OSHA Establishment Search.

Same employer

Other OSHA inspections at Kern Oil & Refining Co.

Earlier or related cases at this establishment.

Full inspection history →
Reference

About OSHA inspections

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducts inspections under several triggers: programmed targeting of high-hazard industries, employee complaints, workplace accidents, fatalities, and follow-ups to prior citations.

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Citations

Each citation specifies a section of 29 CFR, a severity tier, and a proposed penalty. Employers can contest citations through OSHA’s informal conference or before the OSH Review Commission.

Open vs closed

An open case has not yet been administratively closed — citations may follow or the case may close without action.

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Current vs initial penalty

Initial penalty is the proposed amount at citation. Current penalty is the post-conference / settlement figure on file today.

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Trigger types

A = Accident, B = Complaint, H = Programmed, F = Follow-up. See the glossary for all codes.

About this inspection

OSHA classified this as Referral — See our glossary for the full list of inspection trigger types.

Sources

Cross-check with OSHA directly

This page draws from the OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) via the DOL Open Data Portal. For the authoritative record, look up activity number 343331542 directly: