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Employers › CA

Manufacturing · Bakersfield, CA

Kern Oil & Refining CO.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Kern Oil & Refining CO. has a concerning safety record: 62 violations across 11 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 1% by penalty31% serious
$194,486
OSHA penalties
62
Violations cited
11
OSHA inspections
#567
of 100,495 penalized employers

Kern Oil & Refining CO. in Bakersfield, CA has been the subject of 11 OSHA workplace inspections and 62 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $194,486. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Kern Oil & Refining CO. 11 times over 12 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 62 violations, averaging 5.6 per inspection - a notably high rate. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the top 1% of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 19 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 well above peers (4.3x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Fox Valley Systems, INC. in Cary, IL is another manufacturing employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $195,000 in current penalties.

5.6
violations per inspection
30.6%
of violations were serious
99%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Kern Oil & Refining CO. compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Manufacturing per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Kern Oil & Refining CO. runs far above peers (12.6x 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

$194,486 Bottom 1% least affordable more affordable than 1% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Below this entry. $50,000+: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). This entry ($194,486) is well above this band, the chart's rightmost open-ended bucket. This employer: $194,486 $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

What the Data Says About Kern Oil & Refining CO.

The federal enforcement record for Kern Oil & Refining CO. in Bakersfield, CA includes 11 OSHA inspections and 62 violations, translating to 5.64 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 19 (30.6%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $350,255 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $194,486 - a 44.5% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $17,681. Against the Manufacturing industry average of $15,410 per employer, this record runs far above peers (12.6x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2013-03-13 to 2025-07-17, a window of roughly 12 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

11

First Inspection

2013-03-13

Last Inspection

2025-07-17

Inspection Span

12 yrs

Violations / Inspection

5.6

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$17,681

Industry Avg / Inspection

$6,092

What this shows 11 inspections over 12 years, averaging 5.6 violations per visit. That's $17,681 per inspection vs. the Manufacturing average of $6,092.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

19

Serious

30.6% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

43

Other-Than-Serious

69.4% 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

$350,255

Current Penalty Amount

$194,486

Penalty Reduction

44.5%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $155,769 from the initial assessment of $350,255. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Manufacturing

How Kern Oil & Refining CO. compares to the Manufacturing sector, which has 45,665 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Kern Oil & Refining CO. Industry Avg
Inspections 11 2.5
Violations 62 7.8
Total Penalty $194,486 $15,410
Avg Penalty per Inspection $17,681 $6,092
View all 45,665 employers in Manufacturing →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Manufacturing

West Side Fabrication LLC
Colorado Springs, CO
5 inspections $194,672
Brazos Fence & Iron
Houston, TX
0 inspections $0
Advanced Food Products, LLC
New Holland, PA
5 inspections $194,000
Fox Valley Systems, INC.
Cary, IL
2 inspections $195,000
Cavco Industries INC.
Seguin, TX
3 inspections $195,144

Compare Kern Oil & Refining CO. vs West Side Fabrication LLC side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kern Oil & Refining CO. safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 62 violations across 11 inspections, including 19 serious violations. Compared to Manufacturing industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Kern Oil & Refining CO. have? ▼
Kern Oil & Refining CO. has 62 OSHA violations on record, including 19 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $194,486.
How many OSHA inspections has Kern Oil & Refining CO. had? ▼
Kern Oil & Refining CO. has had 11 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2013-03-13 and the most recent on 2025-07-17. This averages 5.6 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Kern Oil & Refining CO.? ▼
Kern Oil & Refining CO. has been assessed $194,486 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $350,255 (a 44.5% reduction).
Does Kern Oil & Refining CO. have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Kern Oil & Refining CO. has 19 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 Kern Oil & Refining CO. operate in? ▼
Kern Oil & Refining CO. operates in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS code 324110). This industry has 45,665 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 115,522 total OSHA inspections and $703.72M in cumulative penalties.
How does Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s total OSHA penalty of $194,486 is above the Manufacturing industry average of $15,410 per employer (12.6x the average). The employer has 11 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, Fox Valley Systems, INC. in Cary, IL is a similar manufacturing employer with $195,000 in current penalties.

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What to check next

Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

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