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Employers › CA

Wholesale Trade · Shafter, CA

Argo Chemical, INC.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Argo Chemical, INC. has a mixed safety record: 7 violations across 4 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Upper half by penalty14% serious
$11,555
OSHA penalties
7
Violations cited
4
OSHA inspections
#31,191
of 100,495 penalized employers

Argo Chemical, INC. in Shafter, CA has been the subject of 4 OSHA workplace inspections and 7 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $11,555. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Argo Chemical, INC. 4 times across a longer 13-year span, an infrequent cadence. These inspections resulted in 7 violations, averaging 1.8 per inspection. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the upper half of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 1 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Wholesale Trade industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs well above peers (2.1x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Southern Wine & Spirits of Upstate New York INC. in Syracuse, NY is another wholesale trade employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $11,550 in current penalties.

1.8
violations per inspection
14.3%
of violations were serious
69%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Argo Chemical, INC. compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Wholesale Trade per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Argo Chemical, INC. runs moderately above peers (1.3x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$11,555 Bottom 31% least affordable more affordable than 31% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). This entry sits in this band. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

What the Data Says About Argo Chemical, INC.

The federal enforcement record for Argo Chemical, INC. in Shafter, CA includes 4 OSHA inspections and 7 violations, translating to 1.75 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 1 (14.3%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $18,955 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $11,555 - a 39.0% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $2,889. Against the Wholesale Trade industry average of $9,023 per employer, this record runs moderately above peers (1.3x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2010-04-15 to 2023-08-16, a window of roughly 13 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

4

First Inspection

2010-04-15

Last Inspection

2023-08-16

Inspection Span

13 yrs

Violations / Inspection

1.8

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$2,889

Industry Avg / Inspection

$4,678

What this shows 4 inspections over 13 years, averaging 1.8 violations per visit. That's $2,889 per inspection vs. the Wholesale Trade average of $4,678.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

1

Serious

14.3% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

6

Other-Than-Serious

85.7% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$18,955

Current Penalty Amount

$11,555

Penalty Reduction

39.0%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $7,400 from the initial assessment of $18,955. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Wholesale Trade

How Argo Chemical, INC. compares to the Wholesale Trade sector, which has 6,960 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Argo Chemical, INC. Industry Avg
Inspections 4 1.9
Violations 7 5.4
Total Penalty $11,555 $9,023
Avg Penalty per Inspection $2,889 $4,678
View all 6,960 employers in Wholesale Trade →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Wholesale Trade

Birmingham Recycling & Recovery, LLC
Birmingham, AL
3 inspections $11,554
Totall Metal Recycling, INC.
Granite City, IL
5 inspections $11,554
P. & R. Paper Supply Company INC.
Redlands, CA
2 inspections $11,550
Southern Wine & Spirits of Upstate New York INC.
Syracuse, NY
2 inspections $11,550
Battery Recycling INC.
Van Wert, OH
2 inspections $11,550

Compare Argo Chemical, INC. vs Birmingham Recycling & Recovery, LLC side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Argo Chemical, INC. safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Argo Chemical, INC.'s workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 7 violations across 4 inspections, including 1 serious violations. Compared to Wholesale Trade industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Argo Chemical, INC. have? ▼
Argo Chemical, INC. has 7 OSHA violations on record, including 1 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $11,555.
How many OSHA inspections has Argo Chemical, INC. had? ▼
Argo Chemical, INC. has had 4 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2010-04-15 and the most recent on 2023-08-16. This averages 1.8 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Argo Chemical, INC.? ▼
Argo Chemical, INC. has been assessed $11,555 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $18,955 (a 39.0% reduction).
Does Argo Chemical, INC. have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Argo Chemical, INC. has 1 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Argo Chemical, INC. operate in? ▼
Argo Chemical, INC. operates in the Wholesale Trade sector (NAICS code 424690). This industry has 6,960 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 13,424 total OSHA inspections and $62.80M in cumulative penalties.
How does Argo Chemical, INC.'s safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Argo Chemical, INC.'s total OSHA penalty of $11,555 is above the Wholesale Trade industry average of $9,023 per employer (1.3x the average). The employer has 4 inspections compared to the industry average of 1.9 per employer. For a direct comparison, Southern Wine & Spirits of Upstate New York INC. in Syracuse, NY is a similar wholesale trade employer with $11,550 in current penalties.

Explore PlainWorker

Wholesale Trade Industry

All 6,960 employers in this sector
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Safety Rankings

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What to check next

Argo Chemical, INC.'s record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

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Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 4 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.