Manufacturing · Bakersfield, CA
Kern Oil & Refining CO.
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Kern Oil & Refining CO. ranks #575 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 62 violations across 11 inspections.
- $194,486
- OSHA penalties
- 62
- Violations cited
- 11
- OSHA inspections
- #575
- of 99,447 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. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #575 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (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
- #575
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 62 violations across 11 OSHA inspections (5.6 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 Kern Oil & Refining CO. compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Manufacturing per-employer average
- Kern Oil & Refining CO.
Kern Oil & Refining CO.
$194,486 in penalties
- Manufacturing avg $15,763
Manufacturing industry average (per employer)
$15,763 in penalties
What this shows Kern Oil & Refining CO. runs far above peers (12.3x 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
$194,486 Bottom 1% least affordable more affordable than 1% 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 Kern Oil & Refining CO..
Kern Oil & Refining CO. in the Manufacturing enforcement ledger
Among 35,243 Manufacturing employers with OSHA penalties on file, Kern Oil & Refining CO. ranks #323 at $194,486 current penalty.
How Kern Oil & Refining CO. Compares
Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s 5.64 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 far above peers (12.3x the sector average).
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
$6,093
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 $6,093.
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 44,645 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Kern Oil & Refining CO. | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 11 | 2.6 |
| Violations | 62 | 8.0 |
| Total Penalty | $194,486 | $15,763 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $17,681 | $6,093 |
Nationwide Manufacturing peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Kern Oil & Refining CO., both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($194,486 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (11 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Manufacturing
Showing 5 of 44644 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Kern Oil & Refining CO. vs West Side Fabrication LLC side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Kern Oil & Refining CO. against West Side Fabrication LLC, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Kern Oil & Refining CO.'s inspection and penalty record is typical for Manufacturing or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Manufacturing 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.