Educational Services · Ames, IA
Iowa State University
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Iowa State University ranks #5,526 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 7 violations across 9 inspections.
- $47,480
- OSHA penalties
- 7
- Violations cited
- 9
- OSHA inspections
- #5,526
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Iowa State University in Ames, IA has been the subject of 9 OSHA workplace inspections and 7 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $47,480. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Iowa State University 9 times over 12 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 7 violations, averaging 0.8 per inspection, on the lighter side. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #5,526 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top 10% of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 7 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 (3.6x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, CA is another educational services employer with 9 OSHA inspections on record and $47,720 in current penalties.
- 0.8
- violations per inspection
- 100.0%
- of violations were serious
- #5,526
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- C OSHA safety compliance: 7 violations across 9 OSHA inspections (0.8 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 Iowa State University compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Educational Services per-employer average
- Iowa State University
Iowa State University
$47,480 in penalties
- Educational Services avg $3,025
Educational Services industry average (per employer)
$3,025 in penalties
What this shows Iowa State University runs far above peers (15.7x 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
$47,480 Bottom 6% least affordable more affordable than 6% 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 Educational Services employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Iowa State University.
Iowa State University in the Educational Services enforcement ledger
Among 856 Educational Services employers with OSHA penalties on file, Iowa State University ranks #31 at $47,480 current penalty.
How Iowa State University Compares
Iowa State University's 0.78 violations per inspection compares to the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.
Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (15.7x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
9
First Inspection
2014-02-06
Last Inspection
2025-09-04
Inspection Span
12 yrs
Violations / Inspection
0.8
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$5,276
Industry Avg / Inspection
$1,199
What this shows 9 inspections over 12 years, averaging 0.8 violations per visit. That's $5,276 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,199.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
7
Serious
100.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
0
Other-Than-Serious
0.0% 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.
Enforcement detail
Penalty Analysis
Initial Penalty Assessed
$79,234
Current Penalty Amount
$47,480
Penalty Reduction
40.1%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $31,754 from the initial assessment of $79,234. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Educational Services
How Iowa State University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Iowa State University | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 9 | 2.5 |
| Violations | 7 | 5.7 |
| Total Penalty | $47,480 | $3,025 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $5,276 | $1,199 |
Nationwide Educational Services peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Iowa State University, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($47,480 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (9 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services
Showing 5 of 3185 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Iowa State University vs San Diego Unified School District side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Iowa State University's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Iowa State University against San Diego Unified School District, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Iowa State 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
- 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.