Educational Services · Fairfax, VA

George Mason University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), George Mason University has a mixed safety record: 5 violations across 7 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

80% serious
$0
OSHA penalties
5
Violations cited
7
OSHA inspections
$702
Back wages owed

George Mason University in Fairfax, VA has been the subject of 7 OSHA workplace inspections and 5 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. 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 George Mason University 7 times over 11 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 5 violations, averaging 0.7 per inspection, on the lighter side. Of these, 4 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 well above peers (2.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $702 in back wages owed to 10 affected workers. For comparison, Upper Iowa University in Fayette, IA is another educational services employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $688 in current penalties.

0.7
violations per inspection
80.0%
of violations were serious
$702
in back wages recovered

Compliance score

B 86/100
  • B OSHA safety compliance: 5 violations across 7 OSHA inspections (0.7 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
  • A Wage & hour compliance: $702 in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($702 per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
Open my watchlist

Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?

Each dot is one of 21 Educational Services employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is George Mason University.

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both7.07.077.07.01.78.81623.230.3OSHA inspectionsViolations citedUNIVERSITY OF CALIFO…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 18UNIVERSITY OF WASHIN…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 10UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 3SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIE…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 5PASSAIC COUNTY TECHN…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 10CALIFORNIA STATE UNI…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 16UPR, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 9NEWARK VALLEY CSD BU…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 29SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDIC…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 6POMONA COLLEGE, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 8BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 13EAST WHITTIER CITY S…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 3CITY COLLEGE OF SAN …, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 15UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 4MALONE CSD FRANKLIN …, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 7ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC S…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 6SUNY BROOME COMMUNIT…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 6SCHOOL DIST #1 SEATTLE, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 7DE, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 3UPR RECINTO DE ARECIBO, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 18George Mason Univers…, OSHA inspections: 7 · Violations cited: 5
George Mason University has 7 OSHA inspections on record and 5 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Educational Services peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

George Mason University in the Educational Services enforcement ledger

WHD back-wage recoveries in this sector place George Mason University at rank #474 of 478 employers ($702 owed). George Mason University carries no OSHA penalty in this extract but ranks #474 of 478 Educational Services employers on WHD back wages ($702).

Combined federal exposure here: $0 OSHA penalties plus $702 WHD back wages (100.0% of the combined total is wage recovery).

How George Mason University Compares

George Mason University's 0.71 violations per inspection compares to the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.

No OSHA penalty has been assessed against George Mason University to date. The Educational Services sector average runs $3,025 per employer.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

7

First Inspection

2010-11-19

Last Inspection

2022-03-31

Inspection Span

11 yrs

Violations / Inspection

0.7

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$0

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,199

What this shows 7 inspections over 11 years, averaging 0.7 violations per visit. That's $0 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,199.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

4

Serious

80.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

1

Other-Than-Serious

20.0% 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.

Wage & Hour Findings

WHD Cases
1
Back Wages Owed
$702
Employees Affected
10
WHD Violations
10
Avg Back Wages per Employee
$70
Avg Back Wages per CaseBelow average
$702

The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that George Mason University owed $702 in back wages to 10 employees across 1 case and 10 violations. WHD enforces federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covering minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

How George Mason University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric George Mason University Industry Avg
Inspections 7 2.5
Violations 5 5.7
Total Penalty $0 $3,025
Avg Penalty per Inspection $0 $1,199

Nationwide Educational Services peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for George Mason University, both outside VA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Showing 5 of 3185 other employers tracked in this sector.

Compare George Mason University vs Pacific Lutheran University side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use George Mason University's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare George Mason University against Pacific Lutheran University, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether George Mason University's inspection and penalty record is typical for Educational Services or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Educational Services sector
  • George Mason University also carries $702 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

Is George Mason University safe to work at?
Based on OSHA records, George Mason University's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 5 violations across 7 inspections, including 4 serious violations. Compared to Educational Services industry peers, this is below average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does George Mason University have?
George Mason University has 5 OSHA violations on record, including 4 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $0.
How many OSHA inspections has George Mason University had?
George Mason University has had 7 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2010-11-19 and the most recent on 2022-03-31. This averages 0.7 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for George Mason University?
George Mason University has been assessed $0 in current OSHA penalties. Additionally, $702 in back wages were owed through WHD enforcement.
Does George Mason University have any serious or willful violations?
Yes. George Mason University has 4 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.
Has George Mason University been cited for wage theft?
Yes. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recorded 1 enforcement case against George Mason University, resulting in $702 in back wages owed to 10 affected workers. These cases involve violations of federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, and other worker protections.
What industry does George Mason University operate in?
George Mason University operates in the Educational Services sector (NAICS code 611310). This industry has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 8,042 total OSHA inspections and $9.64M in cumulative penalties.
What should I do if George Mason University owes me wages?
If you believe George Mason University owes you wages, you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints or by calling 1-866-487-9243. WHD investigates violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act including unpaid minimum wage, overtime, and unauthorized deductions. The DOL has previously found $702 in back wages owed by this employer across 1 case.
How does George Mason University's safety record compare to industry average?
George Mason University's total OSHA penalty of $0 is below the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer. The employer has 7 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, Upper Iowa University in Fayette, IA is a similar educational services employer with $688 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.

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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 7 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.