Manufacturing · Chicago, IL
Empire Hard Chrome
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Empire Hard Chrome ranks #39,405 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 6 violations across 3 inspections.
- $8,610
- OSHA penalties
- 6
- Violations cited
- 3
- OSHA inspections
- #39,405
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Empire Hard Chrome in Chicago, IL has been the subject of 3 OSHA workplace inspections and 6 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $8,610. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Empire Hard Chrome 3 times over 1 year - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in 6 violations, averaging 2.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #39,405 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 4 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Manufacturing industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this sits roughly in line with peers (1.2x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Ufp Haleyville, LLC in Haleyville, AL is another manufacturing employer with 3 OSHA inspections on record and $8,606 in current penalties.
- 2.0
- violations per inspection
- 66.7%
- of violations were serious
- #39,405
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- D OSHA safety compliance: 6 violations across 3 OSHA inspections (2.0 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 Empire Hard Chrome compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Manufacturing per-employer average
- Empire Hard Chrome
Empire Hard Chrome
$8,610 in penalties
- Manufacturing avg
Manufacturing industry average (per employer)
$15,763 in penalties
What this shows Empire Hard Chrome runs moderately below peers (0.5x 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
$8,610 Bottom 40% least affordable more affordable than 40% 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 Empire Hard Chrome.
Empire Hard Chrome in the Manufacturing enforcement ledger
Among 35,243 Manufacturing employers with OSHA penalties on file, Empire Hard Chrome ranks #17,497 at $8,610 current penalty.
How Empire Hard Chrome Compares
Empire Hard Chrome's 2.00 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 (0.5x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
3
First Inspection
2012-10-18
Last Inspection
2013-02-12
Inspection Span
1 yr
Violations / Inspection
2.0
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$2,870
Industry Avg / Inspection
$6,093
What this shows 3 inspections over 1 year, averaging 2.0 violations per visit. That's $2,870 per inspection vs. the Manufacturing average of $6,093.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
4
Serious
66.7% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
2
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
$10,500
Current Penalty Amount
$8,610
Penalty Reduction
18.0%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $1,890 from the initial assessment of $10,500. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Manufacturing
How Empire Hard Chrome compares to the Manufacturing sector, which has 44,645 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Empire Hard Chrome | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 3 | 2.6 |
| Violations | 6 | 8.0 |
| Total Penalty | $8,610 | $15,763 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $2,870 | $6,093 |
Nationwide Manufacturing peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Empire Hard Chrome, both outside IL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($8,610 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (3 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Manufacturing
Showing 5 of 44644 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Empire Hard Chrome vs Mountaineer Manufacturing, INC. side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Empire Hard Chrome's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Empire Hard Chrome against Mountaineer Manufacturing, INC., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Empire Hard Chrome's inspection and penalty record is typical for Manufacturing or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Manufacturing 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.