Arts, Entertainment & Recreation · Grand Rapids, MI
John Ball Zoo
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), John Ball Zoo ranks #30,370 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 15 violations across 2 inspections.
- $11,850
- OSHA penalties
- 15
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #30,370
- of 99,447 penalized employers
John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, MI has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 15 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $11,850. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected John Ball Zoo 2 times over 1 year - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in 15 violations, averaging 7.5 per inspection - a notably high rate. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #30,370 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 13 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this sits roughly in line with peers (1.1x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Pci Gaming Authority, INC. in Gardnerville, NV is another arts, entertainment & recreation employer with 5 OSHA inspections on record and $11,934 in current penalties.
- 7.5
- violations per inspection
- 86.7%
- of violations were serious
- #30,370
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 15 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (7.5 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 John Ball Zoo compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation per-employer average
- John Ball Zoo
John Ball Zoo
$11,850 in penalties
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation avg $4,481
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation industry average (per employer)
$4,481 in penalties
What this shows John Ball Zoo runs well above peers (2.6x 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
$11,850 Bottom 31% least affordable more affordable than 31% 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 Arts, Entertainment & Recreation employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is John Ball Zoo.
John Ball Zoo in the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation enforcement ledger
In Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, John Ball Zoo sits at penalty rank #237 of 848 penalized establishments ($11,850 assessed).
How John Ball Zoo Compares
John Ball Zoo's 7.50 violations per inspection compares to the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation sector average of 5.1 violations per employer.
Against the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation industry average of $4,481 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs well above peers (2.6x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2023-06-14
Last Inspection
2023-08-28
Inspection Span
1 yr
Violations / Inspection
7.5
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$5,925
Industry Avg / Inspection
$2,537
What this shows 2 inspections over 1 year, averaging 7.5 violations per visit. That's $5,925 per inspection vs. the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation average of $2,537.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
13
Serious
86.7% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
2
Other-Than-Serious
13.3% 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
$23,700
Current Penalty Amount
$11,850
Penalty Reduction
50.0%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $11,850 from the initial assessment of $23,700. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
How John Ball Zoo compares to the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation sector, which has 2,226 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | John Ball Zoo | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 1.8 |
| Violations | 15 | 5.1 |
| Total Penalty | $11,850 | $4,481 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $5,925 | $2,537 |
Nationwide Arts, Entertainment & Recreation peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for John Ball Zoo, both outside MI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($11,850 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Showing 5 of 2225 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare John Ball Zoo vs Kansas Entertainment LLC side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use John Ball Zoo's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare John Ball Zoo against Kansas Entertainment LLC, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether John Ball Zoo's inspection and penalty record is typical for Arts, Entertainment & Recreation or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation 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.