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Employers › CA

Retail Trade · Bakersfield, CA

Costco Wholesale Corporation

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Costco Wholesale Corporation ranks #15,183 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 5 violations across 2 inspections.

Top 25% by penalty40% serious
$22,600
OSHA penalties
5
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections
#15,183
of 99,447 penalized employers

Costco Wholesale Corporation in Bakersfield, CA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 5 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $22,600. 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 Corporation 2 times over 3 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 5 violations, averaging 2.5 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #15,183 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, Chevron - Jaspreet in Fair Oaks, CA is another retail trade employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

2.5
violations per inspection
40.0%
of violations were serious
#15,183
of 99,447 penalized employers

Compliance score

D 54/100
  • D OSHA safety compliance: 5 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (2.5 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.

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How Costco Wholesale Corporation compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Retail Trade per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Costco Wholesale Corporation runs far above peers (7.8x 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

$22,600 Bottom 15% least affordable more affordable than 15% 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%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,175 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Retail Trade employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both1.92.022.02.006.312.618.925.1OSHA inspectionsViolations citedDOLLAR GENERAL CORPO…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2QUALITY CHRISTMAS TR…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 24MENARD, INC., OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3ANDERSON'S VIRGINIA …, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 16LOS PINOS HARDWARE, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 9LUX HOME, INC., OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 9ALBERTSONS LLC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3TOWN & COUNTRY SUPER…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 4ELEGANT FURNITURE AN…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 5ROCKAWAY SHOPRITE AS…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3EL RIO GRANDE LATIN …, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1DUANE SPARKS CHEVROL…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 8K MART CORPORATION, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3TRI COUNTY FORD, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 5BURLINGTON COAT FACT…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1WILLISTON LIQUIDATIO…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 9SPARTANNASH COMPANY …, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1RURAL KING, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3FOODTOWN OF WILLIAMS…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2LIPSCOMB OIL COMPANY, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 6Costco Wholesale Cor…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 5
Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 OSHA inspections on record and 5 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Retail Trade peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Costco Wholesale Corporation in the Retail Trade enforcement ledger

Retail Trade sector: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the #350 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 3,175 employers with nonzero fines ($22,600).

How Costco Wholesale Corporation Compares

Costco Wholesale Corporation's 2.50 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 (7.8x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2015-05-08

Last Inspection

2018-06-22

Inspection Span

3 yrs

Violations / Inspection

2.5

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$11,300

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,571

What this shows 2 inspections over 3 years, averaging 2.5 violations per visit. That's $11,300 per inspection vs. the Retail Trade average of $3,571.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

2

Serious

40.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

3

Other-Than-Serious

60.0% 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

$42,485

Current Penalty Amount

$22,600

Penalty Reduction

46.8%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $19,885 from the initial assessment of $42,485. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Retail Trade

How Costco Wholesale Corporation compares to the Retail Trade sector, which has 12,945 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Costco Wholesale Corporation Industry Avg
Inspections 2 0.8
Violations 5 1.7
Total Penalty $22,600 $2,898
Avg Penalty per Inspection $11,300 $3,571
View all 12,945 employers in Retail Trade →

Nationwide Retail Trade peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Costco Wholesale Corporation, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($22,600 here).

Aj Seabra Supermarket VI, INC. $22,532 NJ Gancedo Lumber CO., INC. $22,685 FL Braker's Market, LLC $22,501 IL Techo-Bloc CORP $22,500 PA

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).

Dollar General Corporation/ Dolgencorp, LLC 2 insp. Double Springs, AL Quality Christmas Tree, LTD 2 insp. Houston, TX Menard, INC. 2 insp. Milwaukee, WI Anderson's Virginia Beach, LLC 2 insp. Virginia Beach, VA

Nearby & Similar Employers in Retail Trade

Showing 5 of 12944 other employers tracked in this sector.

Chevron - Jaspreet
Fair Oaks, CA
0 inspections $0
Ticknor's Men's Clothier
Beachwood, OH
0 inspections $0
Jack Key Motor Company
Las Cruces, NM
0 inspections $0
Triple Flag Tires and Wheels, LLC
Saint Louis, MO
0 inspections $0
Delta Gas - North Brunswick, NJ
North Brunswick, NJ
0 inspections $0

Compare Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Chevron - Jaspreet side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Costco Wholesale Corporation's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Costco Wholesale Corporation against Chevron - Jaspreet, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether Costco Wholesale Corporation'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

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Costco Wholesale Corporation's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 5 violations across 2 inspections, including 2 serious violations. Compared to Retail Trade industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Costco Wholesale Corporation have? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has 5 OSHA violations on record, including 2 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $22,600.
How many OSHA inspections has Costco Wholesale Corporation had? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2015-05-08 and the most recent on 2018-06-22. This averages 2.5 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Costco Wholesale Corporation? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has been assessed $22,600 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $42,485 (a 46.8% reduction).
Does Costco Wholesale Corporation have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Costco Wholesale Corporation operate in? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates in the Retail Trade sector (NAICS code 452910). This industry has 12,945 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 10,505 total OSHA inspections and $37.51M in cumulative penalties.
Where does Costco Wholesale Corporation rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Costco Wholesale Corporation ranks #15,183 (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 Costco Wholesale Corporation's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation's total OSHA penalty of $22,600 is above the Retail Trade industry average of $2,898 per employer (7.8x the average). The employer has 2 inspections compared to the industry average of 0.8 per employer. For a direct comparison, Chevron - Jaspreet in Fair Oaks, CA is a similar retail trade 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 2 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.