PlainWorker
Employers › OH

Retail Trade · Columbus, OH

Big Lots, INC.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Big Lots, INC. has a concerning safety record: 15 violations across 4 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 5% by penalty87% serious
$57,085
OSHA penalties
15
Violations cited
4
OSHA inspections
#4,171
of 100,495 penalized employers

Big Lots, INC. in Columbus, OH has been the subject of 4 OSHA workplace inspections and 15 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $57,085. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Big Lots, INC. 4 times over 8 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 15 violations, averaging 3.8 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the top 5% of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 13 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Retail Trade industry average of 1 inspections per employer, this runs well above peers (5.0x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Target Corporation in East Hanover, NJ is another retail trade employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $57,285 in current penalties.

3.8
violations per inspection
86.7%
of violations were serious
96%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Big Lots, INC. compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Retail Trade per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Big Lots, INC. runs far above peers (19.8x 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

$57,085 Bottom 4% least affordable more affordable than 4% 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%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $50,000+: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). This entry ($57,085) is well above this band, the chart's rightmost open-ended bucket. This employer: $57,085 $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 Big Lots, INC.

The federal enforcement record for Big Lots, INC. in Columbus, OH includes 4 OSHA inspections and 15 violations, translating to 3.75 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 13 (86.7%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 2 (13.3%) 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 $105,486 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $57,085 - a 45.9% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $14,271. Against the Retail Trade industry average of $2,879 per employer, this record runs far above peers (19.8x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2011-11-01 to 2019-09-17, a window of roughly 8 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

4

First Inspection

2011-11-01

Last Inspection

2019-09-17

Inspection Span

8 yrs

Violations / Inspection

3.8

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$14,271

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,566

What this shows 4 inspections over 8 years, averaging 3.8 violations per visit. That's $14,271 per inspection vs. the Retail Trade average of $3,566.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

13

Serious

86.7% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

2

Repeat

13.3% of total

0

Other-Than-Serious

0.0% 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

$105,486

Current Penalty Amount

$57,085

Penalty Reduction

45.9%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $48,401 from the initial assessment of $105,486. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Retail Trade

How Big Lots, INC. compares to the Retail Trade sector, which has 12,990 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Big Lots, INC. Industry Avg
Inspections 4 0.8
Violations 15 1.7
Total Penalty $57,085 $2,879
Avg Penalty per Inspection $14,271 $3,566
View all 12,990 employers in Retail Trade →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Retail Trade

Blue Ribbon Fruit
Brooklyn, NY
0 inspections $0
Target Corporation
East Hanover, NJ
2 inspections $57,285
Dillon Companies, LLC
Glendale, CO
2 inspections $56,854
Mid Citites Jeep Truck & Van
Grand Prairie, TX
0 inspections $0
Allpak Battery
Wichita, KS
2 inspections $7,080

Compare Big Lots, INC. vs Blue Ribbon Fruit side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Big Lots, INC. safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Big Lots, INC.'s workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 15 violations across 4 inspections, including 13 serious violations. Compared to Retail Trade industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Big Lots, INC. have? ▼
Big Lots, INC. has 15 OSHA violations on record, including 13 serious, 0 willful, and 2 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $57,085.
How many OSHA inspections has Big Lots, INC. had? ▼
Big Lots, INC. has had 4 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2011-11-01 and the most recent on 2019-09-17. This averages 3.8 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Big Lots, INC.? ▼
Big Lots, INC. has been assessed $57,085 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $105,486 (a 45.9% reduction).
Does Big Lots, INC. have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Big Lots, INC. has 13 serious violations, and 2 repeat 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 Big Lots, INC. operate in? ▼
Big Lots, INC. operates in the Retail Trade sector (NAICS code 452990). This industry has 12,990 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 10,487 total OSHA inspections and $37.39M in cumulative penalties.
How does Big Lots, INC.'s safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Big Lots, INC.'s total OSHA penalty of $57,085 is above the Retail Trade industry average of $2,879 per employer (19.8x the average). The employer has 4 inspections compared to the industry average of 0.8 per employer. For a direct comparison, Target Corporation in East Hanover, NJ is a similar retail trade employer with $57,285 in current penalties.

Explore PlainWorker

Retail Trade Industry

All 12,990 employers in this sector
Employers in OH

All inspected employers in this state
Safety Rankings

Most penalized, repeat violators & more

What to check next

Big Lots, 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.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

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.