Retail Trade · San Diego, CA
Costco Wholesale CORP
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Costco Wholesale CORP ranks #19,912 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a average safety record: 3 violations across 2 inspections.
- $18,000
- OSHA penalties
- 3
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #19,912
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Costco Wholesale CORP in San Diego, CA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 3 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $18,000. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Costco Wholesale CORP 2 times over 2 years, roughly annually. These inspections resulted in 3 violations, averaging 1.5 per inspection. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #19,912 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top quarter of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 2 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 (2.5x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Floor & Decor Outlets of America, INC. in Austin, TX is another retail trade employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $18,000 in current penalties.
- 1.5
- violations per inspection
- 66.7%
- of violations were serious
- #19,912
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- C OSHA safety compliance: 3 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (1.5 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 Costco Wholesale CORP compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Retail Trade per-employer average
- Costco Wholesale CORP
Costco Wholesale CORP
$18,000 in penalties
- Retail Trade avg $2,898
Retail Trade industry average (per employer)
$2,898 in penalties
What this shows Costco Wholesale CORP runs far above peers (6.2x 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
$18,000 Bottom 20% least affordable more affordable than 20% 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 Retail Trade employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Costco Wholesale CORP.
Costco Wholesale CORP in the Retail Trade enforcement ledger
In Retail Trade, Costco Wholesale CORP sits at penalty rank #456 of 3,175 penalized establishments ($18,000 assessed).
How Costco Wholesale CORP Compares
Costco Wholesale CORP's 1.50 violations per inspection compares to the Retail Trade sector average of 1.7 violations per employer.
Against the Retail Trade industry average of $2,898 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (6.2x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2020-06-10
Last Inspection
2022-04-04
Inspection Span
2 yrs
Violations / Inspection
1.5
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$9,000
Industry Avg / Inspection
$3,571
What this shows 2 inspections over 2 years, averaging 1.5 violations per visit. That's $9,000 per inspection vs. the Retail Trade average of $3,571.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
2
Serious
66.7% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
1
Other-Than-Serious
33.3% 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
$36,635
Current Penalty Amount
$18,000
Penalty Reduction
50.9%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $18,635 from the initial assessment of $36,635. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Retail Trade
How Costco Wholesale CORP compares to the Retail Trade sector, which has 12,945 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Costco Wholesale CORP | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 0.8 |
| Violations | 3 | 1.7 |
| Total Penalty | $18,000 | $2,898 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $9,000 | $3,571 |
Nationwide Retail Trade peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Costco Wholesale CORP, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($18,000 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Retail Trade
Showing 5 of 12944 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Costco Wholesale CORP vs Floor & Decor Outlets of America, INC. side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Costco Wholesale CORP's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Costco Wholesale CORP against Floor & Decor Outlets of America, INC., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Costco Wholesale CORP's inspection and penalty record is typical for Retail Trade or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Retail 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.