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Employers › NC

Educational Services · Durham, NC

Duke University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Duke University has a concerning safety record: 9 violations across 2 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 25% by penalty33% serious
$23,625
OSHA penalties
9
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections
#14,432
of 100,495 penalized employers

Duke University in Durham, NC has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 9 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $23,625. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Duke University 2 times over 2 years, roughly annually. These inspections resulted in 9 violations, averaging 4.5 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in 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 Educational Services industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Univeristy Health Systems in Las Vegas, NV is another educational services employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

4.5
violations per inspection
33.3%
of violations were serious
86%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Duke University compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Educational Services per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Duke University 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

$23,625 Bottom 14% least affordable more affordable than 14% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). This entry sits in this band. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 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

What the Data Says About Duke University

The federal enforcement record for Duke University in Durham, NC includes 2 OSHA inspections and 9 violations, translating to 4.50 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 3 (33.3%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $31,500 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $23,625 - a 25.0% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $11,813. Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,013 per employer, this record runs far above peers (7.8x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2013-07-03 to 2015-05-13, a window of roughly 2 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2013-07-03

Last Inspection

2015-05-13

Inspection Span

2 yrs

Violations / Inspection

4.5

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$11,813

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,198

What this shows 2 inspections over 2 years, averaging 4.5 violations per visit. That's $11,813 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,198.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

3

Serious

33.3% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

6

Other-Than-Serious

66.7% 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

$31,500

Current Penalty Amount

$23,625

Penalty Reduction

25.0%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $7,875 from the initial assessment of $31,500. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

How Duke University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,199 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Duke University Industry Avg
Inspections 2 2.5
Violations 9 5.7
Total Penalty $23,625 $3,013
Avg Penalty per Inspection $11,813 $1,198
View all 3,199 employers in Educational Services →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Univeristy Health Systems
Las Vegas, NV
0 inspections $0
Paul Mitchell - The School Fort Myers
Fort Myers, FL
0 inspections $0
New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School
New Brunswick, NJ
3 inspections $23,500
California State University Fresno
Fresno, CA
7 inspections $23,780
Lindenwold High School
Lindenwold, NJ
4 inspections $23,450

Compare Duke University vs Univeristy Health Systems side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Duke University safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Duke University's workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 9 violations across 2 inspections, including 3 serious violations. Compared to Educational Services industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Duke University have? ▼
Duke University has 9 OSHA violations on record, including 3 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $23,625.
How many OSHA inspections has Duke University had? ▼
Duke University has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2013-07-03 and the most recent on 2015-05-13. This averages 4.5 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Duke University? ▼
Duke University has been assessed $23,625 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $31,500 (a 25.0% reduction).
Does Duke University have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Duke University has 3 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 Duke University operate in? ▼
Duke University operates in the Educational Services sector (NAICS code 611310). This industry has 3,199 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 8,044 total OSHA inspections and $9.64M in cumulative penalties.
How does Duke University's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Duke University's total OSHA penalty of $23,625 is above the Educational Services industry average of $3,013 per employer (7.8x the average). The employer has 2 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, Univeristy Health Systems in Las Vegas, NV is a similar educational services employer with $0 in current penalties.

Explore PlainWorker

Educational Services Industry

All 3,199 employers in this sector
Employers in NC

All inspected employers in this state
Safety Rankings

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What to check next

Duke University's record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

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.

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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.