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Employers › CA

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting · Visalia, CA

Hester Orchards, INC

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Hester Orchards, INC ranks #15,281 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 6 violations across 2 inspections.

Top 25% by penalty17% serious
$22,500
OSHA penalties
6
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections
#15,281
of 99,447 penalized employers

Hester Orchards, INC in Visalia, CA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 6 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $22,500. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Hester Orchards, INC 2 times over 3 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 6 violations, averaging 3.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #15,281 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top quarter of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 1 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting industry average of 1 inspections per employer, this runs moderately above peers (1.5x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Wil-Co Flying Service in De Witt, AR is another agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

3.0
violations per inspection
16.7%
of violations were serious
#15,281
of 99,447 penalized employers

Compliance score

F 46/100
  • F OSHA safety compliance: 6 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (3.0 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.

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How Hester Orchards, INC compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Hester Orchards, INC runs far above peers (6.5x 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

$22,500 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 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Hester Orchards, INC.

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both1.92.022.02.004.58.913.417.9OSHA inspectionsViolations citedOLIVER LOGGING COMPANY, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3STERLING HILL LLC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1HARK ORCHIDS LP, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 4JOE FICHER, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 11JOSE JAVIER GUTIERREZ, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1WATKINS TOBACCO CONT…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2ATKINSON STAFFING INC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1AKITA FARM, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 17ROSENDALE DAIRY, LLC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 0LAKE LABISH FARMS INC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 1NIELSEN BROTHERS INC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 0SHIRLEY HERRING DBA …, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 0RAKHRA MUSHROOM FARM…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 6GOTHAM GREENS PROVID…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3FARIA BROTHERS DAIRY…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2CROMAN CORP, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 6RICHARD G SPONHAUER, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 3FISH & WILDLIFE SERV…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 7U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICU…, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2CRYSTAL LAKE LLC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 2Hester Orchards, INC, OSHA inspections: 2 · Violations cited: 6
Hester Orchards, INC has 2 OSHA inspections on record and 6 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Hester Orchards, INC in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting enforcement ledger

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting sector: Hester Orchards, INC is the #244 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 2,224 employers with nonzero fines ($22,500).

How Hester Orchards, INC Compares

Hester Orchards, INC's 3.00 violations per inspection compares to the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting sector average of 2.4 violations per employer.

Against the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting industry average of $3,448 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (6.5x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2014-09-04

Last Inspection

2017-11-20

Inspection Span

3 yrs

Violations / Inspection

3.0

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$11,250

Industry Avg / Inspection

$2,537

What this shows 2 inspections over 3 years, averaging 3.0 violations per visit. That's $11,250 per inspection vs. the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting average of $2,537.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

1

Serious

16.7% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

5

Other-Than-Serious

83.3% 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

$38,000

Current Penalty Amount

$22,500

Penalty Reduction

40.8%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $15,500 from the initial assessment of $38,000. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

How Hester Orchards, INC compares to the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting sector, which has 5,988 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Hester Orchards, INC Industry Avg
Inspections 2 1.4
Violations 6 2.4
Total Penalty $22,500 $3,448
Avg Penalty per Inspection $11,250 $2,537
View all 5,988 employers in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting →

Nationwide Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Hester Orchards, INC, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($22,500 here).

O.J. Thrall, INC. $22,536 CT Rose Acre Farms $22,594 IA Cold Spring Egg Farms, INC. $22,643 WI Vidalia Valley LLC $22,302 GA

Similar OSHA inspection count

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

Oliver Logging Company 2 insp. Talbotton, GA Sterling Hill LLC 2 insp. Burlington, WA Hark Orchids LP 2 insp. Kalamazoo, MI Joe Ficher 2 insp. Myrtle Point, OR

Nearby & Similar Employers in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

Showing 5 of 5987 other employers tracked in this sector.

Tudor Ranch
Mecca, CA
2 inspections $22,500
Wil-Co Flying Service
De Witt, AR
0 inspections $0
Evergreen Produce Inc
Buena, NJ
0 inspections $0
Fleetwood Farm Winery, LLC
Leesburg, VA
0 inspections $0
Danys Berry Farms
Santa Maria, CA
0 inspections $0

Compare Hester Orchards, INC vs Tudor Ranch side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Hester Orchards, INC's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Hester Orchards, INC against Tudor Ranch, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether Hester Orchards, INC's inspection and penalty record is typical for Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting 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 Hester Orchards, INC safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Hester Orchards, INC's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 6 violations across 2 inspections, including 1 serious violations. Compared to Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Hester Orchards, INC have? ▼
Hester Orchards, INC has 6 OSHA violations on record, including 1 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $22,500.
How many OSHA inspections has Hester Orchards, INC had? ▼
Hester Orchards, INC has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2014-09-04 and the most recent on 2017-11-20. This averages 3.0 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Hester Orchards, INC? ▼
Hester Orchards, INC has been assessed $22,500 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $38,000 (a 40.8% reduction).
Does Hester Orchards, INC have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Hester Orchards, INC has 1 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 Hester Orchards, INC operate in? ▼
Hester Orchards, INC operates in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting sector (NAICS code 111998). This industry has 5,988 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 8,139 total OSHA inspections and $20.65M in cumulative penalties.
Where does Hester Orchards, INC rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Hester Orchards, INC ranks #15,281 (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 Hester Orchards, INC's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Hester Orchards, INC's total OSHA penalty of $22,500 is above the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting industry average of $3,448 per employer (6.5x the average). The employer has 2 inspections compared to the industry average of 1.4 per employer. For a direct comparison, Wil-Co Flying Service in De Witt, AR is a similar agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting 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.

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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.