Manufacturing · Joliet, IL
Ecolab INC.
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Ecolab INC. ranks #35,304 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 16 violations across 5 inspections.
- $9,950
- OSHA penalties
- 16
- Violations cited
- 5
- OSHA inspections
- #35,304
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Ecolab INC. in Joliet, IL has been the subject of 5 OSHA workplace inspections and 16 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $9,950. The employer also has 1 Wage and Hour Division (WHD) case on record, covering Fair Labor Standards Act enforcement. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Ecolab INC. 5 times across a longer 12-year span, an infrequent cadence. These inspections resulted in 16 violations, averaging 3.2 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #35,304 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 5 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Manufacturing industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately above peers (1.9x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. For comparison, The Mennel Milling Company of Michigan in Dowagiac, MI is another manufacturing employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $9,950 in current penalties.
- 3.2
- violations per inspection
- 31.3%
- of violations were serious
- #35,304
- of 99,447 penalized employers
- $0
- in back wages recovered
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 16 violations across 5 OSHA inspections (3.2 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
- A Wage & hour compliance: $0 in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($0 per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
How Ecolab INC. compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Manufacturing per-employer average
- Ecolab INC.
Ecolab INC.
$9,950 in penalties
- Manufacturing avg
Manufacturing industry average (per employer)
$15,763 in penalties
What this shows Ecolab INC. runs moderately below peers (0.6x 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
$9,950 Bottom 36% least affordable more affordable than 36% 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 Manufacturing employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Ecolab INC..
Ecolab INC. in the Manufacturing enforcement ledger
In Manufacturing, Ecolab INC. sits at penalty rank #15,879 of 35,243 penalized establishments ($9,950 assessed).
Combined federal exposure here: $9,950 OSHA penalties plus $0 WHD back wages (0.0% of the combined total is wage recovery).
How Ecolab INC. Compares
Ecolab INC.'s 3.20 violations per inspection compares to the Manufacturing sector average of 8.0 violations per employer.
Against the Manufacturing industry average of $15,763 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately below peers (0.6x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
5
First Inspection
2012-05-23
Last Inspection
2024-03-05
Inspection Span
12 yrs
Violations / Inspection
3.2
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$1,990
Industry Avg / Inspection
$6,093
What this shows 5 inspections over 12 years, averaging 3.2 violations per visit. That's $1,990 per inspection vs. the Manufacturing average of $6,093.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
5
Serious
31.3% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
11
Other-Than-Serious
68.8% 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
$33,950
Current Penalty Amount
$9,950
Penalty Reduction
70.7%
Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)
$9,950
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $24,000 from the initial assessment of $33,950. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Wage & Hour Findings
Industry Safety Context: Manufacturing
How Ecolab INC. compares to the Manufacturing sector, which has 44,645 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Ecolab INC. | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 5 | 2.6 |
| Violations | 16 | 8.0 |
| Total Penalty | $9,950 | $15,763 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $1,990 | $6,093 |
Nationwide Manufacturing peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Ecolab INC., both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($9,950 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (5 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Manufacturing
Showing 5 of 44644 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Ecolab INC. vs R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Ecolab INC.'s enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Ecolab INC. against R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Ecolab INC.'s inspection and penalty record is typical for Manufacturing or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Manufacturing sector
- Ecolab INC. also carries $0 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.