Educational Services · Ithaca, NY
Cornell University
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Cornell University ranks #9,347 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 4 violations across 2 inspections.
- $32,667
- OSHA penalties
- 4
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #9,347
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Cornell University in Ithaca, NY has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 4 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $32,667. Separately, the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found $193,591 in back wages owed to 1,460 affected workers. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Cornell University 2 times over 1 year - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in 4 violations, averaging 2.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #9,347 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top 10% of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 4 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Educational Services industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $193,591 in back wages owed to 1,460 affected workers. For comparison, Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY is another educational services employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.
- 2.0
- violations per inspection
- 100.0%
- of violations were serious
- #9,347
- of 99,447 penalized employers
- $193,591
- in back wages recovered
Compliance score
- D OSHA safety compliance: 4 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (2.0 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
- F Wage & hour compliance: $194K in back wages owed across 2 WHD cases ($97K per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
How Cornell University compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Educational Services per-employer average
- Cornell University
Cornell University
$32,667 in penalties
- Educational Services avg $3,025
Educational Services industry average (per employer)
$3,025 in penalties
What this shows Cornell University runs far above peers (10.8x 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
$32,667 Bottom 9% least affordable more affordable than 9% 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 Educational Services employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Cornell University.
Cornell University in the Educational Services enforcement ledger
Educational Services sector: Cornell University is the #69 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 856 employers with nonzero fines ($32,667). WHD back-wage recoveries in this sector place Cornell University at rank #19 of 478 employers ($193,591 owed).
Combined federal exposure here: $32,667 OSHA penalties plus $193,591 WHD back wages (85.6% of the combined total is wage recovery).
How Cornell University Compares
Cornell University's 2.00 violations per inspection compares to the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.
Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (10.8x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2023-10-19
Last Inspection
2024-05-02
Inspection Span
1 yr
Violations / Inspection
2.0
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$16,334
Industry Avg / Inspection
$1,199
What this shows 2 inspections over 1 year, averaging 2.0 violations per visit. That's $16,334 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,199.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
4
Serious
100.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% 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
$43,554
Current Penalty Amount
$32,667
Penalty Reduction
25.0%
Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)
$226,258
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $10,887 from the initial assessment of $43,554. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Wage & Hour Findings
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Cornell University owed $193,591 in back wages to 1,460 employees across 2 cases and 1,462 violations. WHD enforces federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covering minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards.
Industry Safety Context: Educational Services
How Cornell University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Cornell University | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 2.5 |
| Violations | 4 | 5.7 |
| Total Penalty | $32,667 | $3,025 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $16,334 | $1,199 |
Nationwide Educational Services peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Cornell University, both outside NY so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($32,667 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services
Showing 5 of 3185 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Cornell University vs Gryphon Group Security Solutions side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Cornell University's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Cornell University against Gryphon Group Security Solutions, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Cornell University's inspection and penalty record is typical for Educational Services or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Educational Services sector
- Cornell University also carries $193,591 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
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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.