Wholesale Trade · Kent, WA
Columbia Distributing
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Columbia Distributing ranks #68,523 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 10 violations across 3 inspections.
- $3,000
- OSHA penalties
- 10
- Violations cited
- 3
- OSHA inspections
- #68,523
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Columbia Distributing in Kent, WA has been the subject of 3 OSHA workplace inspections and 10 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $3,000. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Columbia Distributing 3 times over 2 years, roughly annually. These inspections resulted in 10 violations, averaging 3.3 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #68,523 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 6 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 moderately above peers (1.5x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Brown Manufacturing Group INC in Wyoming, MI is another wholesale trade employer with 3 OSHA inspections on record and $3,000 in current penalties.
- 3.3
- violations per inspection
- 60.0%
- of violations were serious
- #68,523
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 10 violations across 3 OSHA inspections (3.3 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 Columbia Distributing compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Wholesale Trade per-employer average
- Columbia Distributing $3,000
Columbia Distributing
$3,000 in penalties
- Wholesale Trade avg
Wholesale Trade industry average (per employer)
$9,112 in penalties
What this shows Columbia Distributing runs moderately below peers (0.3x 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
$3,000 Top 31% most affordable more affordable than 69% 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 Wholesale Trade employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Columbia Distributing.
Columbia Distributing in the Wholesale Trade enforcement ledger
Wholesale Trade sector: Columbia Distributing is the #3,231 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 4,429 employers with nonzero fines ($3,000).
How Columbia Distributing Compares
Columbia Distributing's 3.33 violations per inspection compares to the Wholesale Trade sector average of 5.5 violations per employer.
Against the Wholesale Trade industry average of $9,112 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately below peers (0.3x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
3
First Inspection
2010-03-31
Last Inspection
2012-05-02
Inspection Span
2 yrs
Violations / Inspection
3.3
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$1,000
Industry Avg / Inspection
$4,665
What this shows 3 inspections over 2 years, averaging 3.3 violations per visit. That's $1,000 per inspection vs. the Wholesale Trade average of $4,665.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
6
Serious
60.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
4
Other-Than-Serious
40.0% 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
$8,840
Current Penalty Amount
$3,000
Penalty Reduction
66.1%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $5,840 from the initial assessment of $8,840. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Wholesale Trade
How Columbia Distributing compares to the Wholesale Trade sector, which has 6,881 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Columbia Distributing | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 3 | 2.0 |
| Violations | 10 | 5.5 |
| Total Penalty | $3,000 | $9,112 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $1,000 | $4,665 |
Nationwide Wholesale Trade peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Columbia Distributing, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($3,000 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (3 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Wholesale Trade
Showing 5 of 6880 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Columbia Distributing vs Brown Manufacturing Group INC side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Columbia Distributing's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Columbia Distributing against Brown Manufacturing Group INC, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Columbia Distributing's inspection and penalty record is typical for Wholesale Trade or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Wholesale Trade 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.