Manufacturing · Waterloo, IA

John Deere

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), John Deere ranks #32,640 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 5 violations across 4 inspections.

Upper half by penalty60% serious

Compiled by Plainworker · September 6, 2026

$10,892
OSHA penalties: 5
Violations cited: 4
OSHA inspections: #32,640
of 99,447 penalized employers

John Deere in Waterloo, IA has been the subject of 4 OSHA workplace inspections and 5 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $10,892. Federal wage-and-hour enforcement records also show 0 WHD violations against this employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 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 Deere 4 times over 6 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 5 violations, averaging 1.3 per inspection. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #32,640 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 3 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Manufacturing industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately above peers (1.5x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. For comparison, B.E. Peterson, Incorporated in Avon, MA is another manufacturing employer with 5 OSHA inspections on record and $10,893 in current penalties.

1.3
violations per inspection: 60.0%
of violations were serious: #32,640
of 99,447 penalized employers: $0
in back wages recovered

Compliance score

B 82/100

C OSHA safety compliance: 5 violations across 4 OSHA inspections (1.3 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
A Wage & hour compliance: $0 in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($0 per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.

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John Deere

$10,892
Manufacturing avg

$15,763

What this shows John Deere runs moderately below peers (0.7x 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

$10,892 Bottom 33% least affordable more affordable than 33% 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 John Deere.

John Deere has 4 OSHA inspections on record and 5 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Manufacturing peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

John Deere in the Manufacturing enforcement ledger

In Manufacturing, John Deere sits at penalty rank #14,876 of 35,243 penalized establishments ($10,892 assessed).

Combined federal exposure here: $10,892 OSHA penalties plus $0 WHD back wages (0.0% of the combined total is wage recovery).

How John Deere Compares

John Deere's 1.25 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 (0.7x the sector average).

Total Inspections

First Inspection

2015-01-12

Last Inspection

2020-07-21

Inspection Span

6 yrs

Violations / Inspection

1.3

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$2,723

Industry Avg / Inspection

$6,093

What this shows 4 inspections over 6 years, averaging 1.3 violations per visit. That's $2,723 per inspection vs. the Manufacturing average of $6,093.

Serious

60.0% of total

Willful

0.0% of total

Repeat

0.0% of total

Other-Than-Serious

40.0% 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.

Initial Penalty Assessed

$11,704

Current Penalty Amount

$10,892

Penalty Reduction

6.9%

Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)

$10,892

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $812 from the initial assessment of $11,704. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Wage & Hour Findings

WHD Cases

Back Wages Owed

Employees Affected

WHD Violations

Industry Safety Context: Manufacturing

How John Deere compares to the Manufacturing sector, which has 44,645 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric	John Deere	Industry Avg
Inspections	4	2.6
Violations	5	8.0
Total Penalty	$10,892	$15,763
Avg Penalty per Inspection	$2,723	$6,093

View all 44,645 employers in Manufacturing →

Nationwide Manufacturing peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for John Deere, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($10,892 here).

Associated Printing Productions, INC. $10,892 FL BR Pallet, INC. $10,893 OH B.E. Peterson, Incorporated $10,893 MA Leaman Container INC. $10,889 TX

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (4 inspections here).

Pompanoosuc Mills Corporation 4 insp. East Thetford, VT Butler Trailer Manufacturing Company, INC. 4 insp. Randleman, NC MT. Eaton Pallet, LTD 4 insp. Millersburg, OH Beyel Brothers, INC. 4 insp. Merritt Island, FL

Nearby & Similar Employers in Manufacturing

Showing 5 of 44644 other employers tracked in this sector.

Associated Printing Productions, INC.

Miami Lakes, FL

4 inspections $10,892

BR Pallet, INC.

Alvada, OH

3 inspections $10,893

B.E. Peterson, Incorporated

Avon, MA

5 inspections $10,893

Leaman Container INC.

Fort Worth, TX

2 inspections $10,889

Production Pattern and Foundry CO., INC.

Mound House, NV

6 inspections $10,895

Compare John Deere vs Associated Printing Productions, INC. side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use John Deere's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare John Deere against Associated Printing Productions, INC., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
See whether John Deere's inspection and penalty record is typical for Manufacturing or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Manufacturing sector
John Deere also carries $0 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 John Deere safe to work at? ▼

Based on OSHA records, John Deere's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 5 violations across 4 inspections, including 3 serious violations. Compared to Manufacturing industry peers, this is below average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.

How many OSHA violations does John Deere have? ▼

John Deere has 5 OSHA violations on record, including 3 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $10,892.

How many OSHA inspections has John Deere had? ▼

John Deere has had 4 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2015-01-12 and the most recent on 2020-07-21. This averages 1.3 violations per inspection.

What is the total penalty amount for John Deere? ▼

John Deere has been assessed $10,892 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $11,704 (a 6.9% reduction). Additionally, $0 in back wages were owed through WHD enforcement.

Does John Deere have any serious or willful violations? ▼

Yes. John Deere has 3 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 John Deere been cited for wage theft? ▼

Yes. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recorded 1 enforcement case against John Deere, resulting in $0 in back wages owed to an undisclosed number of workers. These cases involve violations of federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, and other worker protections.

What industry does John Deere operate in? ▼

John Deere operates in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS code 333111). This industry has 44,645 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 115,492 total OSHA inspections and $703.72M in cumulative penalties.

What should I do if John Deere owes me wages? ▼

If you believe John Deere 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 $0 in back wages owed by this employer across 1 case.

Where does John Deere rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼

Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, John Deere ranks #32,640 (the upper half 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 John Deere's safety record compare to industry average? ▼

John Deere's total OSHA penalty of $10,892 is below the Manufacturing industry average of $15,763 per employer. The employer has 4 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.6 per employer. For a direct comparison, B.E. Peterson, Incorporated in Avon, MA is a similar manufacturing employer with $10,893 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.