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Public Administration · Seattle, WA

City of Seattle

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), City of Seattle ranks #20,965 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 10 violations across 22 inspections.

Top 25% by penalty30% serious
$17,100
OSHA penalties
10
Violations cited
22
OSHA inspections
#20,965
of 99,447 penalized employers

City of Seattle in Seattle, WA has been the subject of 22 OSHA workplace inspections and 10 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $17,100. Federal wage-and-hour enforcement records also show 2 WHD violations against this employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has kept close, sustained watch on City of Seattle: 22 inspections in 5 years, several times a year. These inspections resulted in 10 violations, averaging 0.5 per inspection, on the lighter side. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #20,965 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top quarter of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 3 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 far above peers (7.0x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. For comparison, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Dept in Lake Worth, FL is another public administration employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

0.5
violations per inspection
30.0%
of violations were serious
#20,965
of 99,447 penalized employers
$0
in back wages recovered

Compliance score

B 88/100
  • B OSHA safety compliance: 10 violations across 22 OSHA inspections (0.5 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
  • A Wage & hour compliance: $0 in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($0 per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
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How City of Seattle compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Public Administration per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows City of Seattle runs far above peers (6.6x 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

$17,100 Bottom 21% least affordable more affordable than 21% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 43,959 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,304 U.S. employers with a penalty (20%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,027 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,546 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). This entry sits in this band. $20,000–$25,000: 4,175 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,877 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,036 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,493 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,095 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 785 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,150 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

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 Seattle.

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both18.820.121.522.924.31.548.094.5141.0187.4OSHA inspectionsViolations citedCITY OF STOCKTON, OSHA inspections: 22 · Violations cited: 14TOWN OF EAST HARTFORD, OSHA inspections: 22 · Violations cited: 53DS, OSHA inspections: 23 · Violations cited: 47CITY OF STAMFORD, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 179ELIZABETH FIRE DEPAR…, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 102UPR - RUM, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 25TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR, OSHA inspections: 23 · Violations cited: 64SAN FRANCISCO FIRE D…, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 30MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL…, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 74DS, OSHA inspections: 21 · Violations cited: 59TOWN OF BERLIN, OSHA inspections: 20 · Violations cited: 113IRVINGTON HOUSING AU…, OSHA inspections: 24 · Violations cited: 84AIR FORCE, OSHA inspections: 20 · Violations cited: 44HILL AIR FORCE BASE, OSHA inspections: 24 · Violations cited: 100CITY OF NEWARK FIRE …, OSHA inspections: 20 · Violations cited: 60ASEM, OSHA inspections: 20 · Violations cited: 12OWEGO VILL FIRE DEPT, OSHA inspections: 20 · Violations cited: 52NYCFD HEADQUARTERS, OSHA inspections: 24 · Violations cited: 10MUNICIPIO DE LAJAS, OSHA inspections: 19 · Violations cited: 24U.S. DEPT. OF NAVY, OSHA inspections: 19 · Violations cited: 17City of Seattle, OSHA inspections: 22 · Violations cited: 10
City of Seattle has 22 OSHA inspections on record and 10 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Public Administration peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

City of Seattle in the Public Administration enforcement ledger

In Public Administration, City of Seattle sits at penalty rank #393 of 1,870 penalized establishments ($17,100 assessed).

Combined federal exposure here: $17,100 OSHA penalties plus $0 WHD back wages (0.0% of the combined total is wage recovery).

How City of Seattle Compares

City of Seattle's 0.45 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 (6.6x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

22

First Inspection

2010-01-13

Last Inspection

2014-10-16

Inspection Span

5 yrs

Violations / Inspection

0.5

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$777

Industry Avg / Inspection

$827

What this shows 22 inspections over 5 years, averaging 0.5 violations per visit. That's $777 per inspection vs. the Public Administration average of $827.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

3

Serious

30.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

2

Repeat

20.0% of total

5

Other-Than-Serious

50.0% 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

$17,100

Current Penalty Amount

$17,100

Penalty Reduction

None

Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)

$17,100

What this shows No reduction on record. The current penalty matches the original OSHA assessment.

Wage & Hour Findings

WHD Cases
1
Back Wages Owed
$0
Employees Affected
0
WHD Violations
2

Industry Safety Context: Public Administration

How City of Seattle compares to the Public Administration sector, which has 9,693 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric City of Seattle Industry Avg
Inspections 22 3.2
Violations 10 6.4
Total Penalty $17,100 $2,606
Avg Penalty per Inspection $777 $827
View all 9,693 employers in Public Administration →

Nationwide Public Administration peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for City of Seattle, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($17,100 here).

Township of Edison - Public Safety Center $17,100 NJ San Jose Department of Transportation $17,170 CA Salem County Court House $17,000 NJ New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development $17,000 NJ

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (22 inspections here).

City of Stockton 22 insp. Stockton, CA Town of East Hartford 22 insp. East Hartford, CT DS 23 insp. Ponce, PR City of Stamford 21 insp. Stamford, CT

Nearby & Similar Employers in Public Administration

Showing 5 of 9692 other employers tracked in this sector.

Township of Edison - Public Safety Center
Edison, NJ
2 inspections $17,100
Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Dept
Lake Worth, FL
0 inspections $0
San Jose Department of Transportation
San Jose, CA
3 inspections $17,170
Salem County Court House
Salem, NJ
2 inspections $17,000
New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development
New Brunswick, NJ
3 inspections $17,000

Compare City of Seattle vs Township of Edison - Public Safety Center side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use City of Seattle's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare City of Seattle against Township of Edison - Public Safety Center, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether City of Seattle's inspection and penalty record is typical for Public Administration or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Public Administration sector
  • City of Seattle also carries $0 in Wage and Hour Division back-wages, a separate enforcement track from OSHA safety violations. How wage-theft enforcement works

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

Is City of Seattle safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, City of Seattle's workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 10 violations across 22 inspections, including 3 serious violations. Compared to Public Administration industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does City of Seattle have? ▼
City of Seattle has 10 OSHA violations on record, including 3 serious, 0 willful, and 2 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $17,100.
How many OSHA inspections has City of Seattle had? ▼
City of Seattle has had 22 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2010-01-13 and the most recent on 2014-10-16. This averages 0.5 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for City of Seattle? ▼
City of Seattle has been assessed $17,100 in current OSHA penalties. Additionally, $0 in back wages were owed through WHD enforcement.
Does City of Seattle have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. City of Seattle has 3 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.
Has City of Seattle been cited for wage theft? ▼
Yes. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recorded 1 enforcement case against City of Seattle, resulting in $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. These cases involve violations of federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, and other worker protections.
What industry does City of Seattle operate in? ▼
City of Seattle operates in the Public Administration sector (NAICS code 921120). This industry has 9,693 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 30,559 total OSHA inspections and $25.26M in cumulative penalties.
What should I do if City of Seattle owes me wages? ▼
If you believe City of Seattle owes you wages, you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints or by calling 1-866-487-9243. WHD investigates violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act including unpaid minimum wage, overtime, and unauthorized deductions. The DOL has previously found $0 in back wages owed by this employer across 1 case.
Where does City of Seattle rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, City of Seattle ranks #20,965 (the top quarter of penalized employers nationally). The ordinal is a live COUNT of employers with a lower total_current_penalty; see the methodology page for the exact derivation.
How does City of Seattle's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
City of Seattle's total OSHA penalty of $17,100 is above the Public Administration industry average of $2,606 per employer (6.6x the average). The employer has 22 inspections compared to the industry average of 3.2 per employer. For a direct comparison, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Dept in Lake Worth, FL is a similar public administration employer with $0 in current penalties.
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 22 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.