Public Administration · Palo Alto, CA
City of Palo Alto
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), City of Palo Alto ranks #3,226 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 10 violations across 2 inspections.
- $68,325
- OSHA penalties
- 10
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #3,226
- of 99,447 penalized employers
City of Palo Alto in Palo Alto, CA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 10 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $68,325. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected City of Palo Alto 2 times across a longer 6-year span, an infrequent cadence. These inspections resulted in 10 violations, averaging 5.0 per inspection - a notably high rate. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #3,226 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top 5% of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 7 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Public Administration industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.6x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Soh-DHS, Office of Youth Services in Kailua, HI is another public administration employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $67,680 in current penalties.
- 5.0
- violations per inspection
- 70.0%
- of violations were serious
- #3,226
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 10 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (5.0 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
Channels are separate federal datasets: a dimension marked not applicable simply has no record in that dataset for this employer, not a good or bad score.
How City of Palo Alto compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Public Administration per-employer average
- City of Palo Alto
City of Palo Alto
$68,325 in penalties
- Public Administration avg $2,606
Public Administration industry average (per employer)
$2,606 in penalties
What this shows City of Palo Alto runs far above peers (26.2x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.
Where this penalty ranks nationally
Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty
$68,325 Bottom 3% least affordable more affordable than 3% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty
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
Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?
Each dot is one of 21 Public Administration employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is City of Palo Alto.
City of Palo Alto in the Public Administration enforcement ledger
Among 1,870 Public Administration employers with OSHA penalties on file, City of Palo Alto ranks #59 at $68,325 current penalty.
How City of Palo Alto Compares
City of Palo Alto's 5.00 violations per inspection compares to the Public Administration sector average of 6.4 violations per employer.
Against the Public Administration industry average of $2,606 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (26.2x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2014-01-28
Last Inspection
2019-11-16
Inspection Span
6 yrs
Violations / Inspection
5.0
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$34,163
Industry Avg / Inspection
$827
What this shows 2 inspections over 6 years, averaging 5.0 violations per visit. That's $34,163 per inspection vs. the Public Administration average of $827.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
7
Serious
70.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
3
Other-Than-Serious
30.0% 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
$104,210
Current Penalty Amount
$68,325
Penalty Reduction
34.4%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $35,885 from the initial assessment of $104,210. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Public Administration
How City of Palo Alto compares to the Public Administration sector, which has 9,693 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | City of Palo Alto | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 3.2 |
| Violations | 10 | 6.4 |
| Total Penalty | $68,325 | $2,606 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $34,163 | $827 |
Nationwide Public Administration peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for City of Palo Alto, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($68,325 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Public Administration
Showing 5 of 9692 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare City of Palo Alto vs Paramus FD CO.#4 House side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use City of Palo Alto's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare City of Palo Alto against Paramus FD CO.#4 House, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether City of Palo Alto's inspection and penalty record is typical for Public Administration or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Public Administration sector
- Before you accept a job or raise a safety concern, search any employer for its own OSHA inspection history the same way you found this one. Search employers
Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.