Educational Services · Chicago, IL

Northwestern University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Northwestern University has a relatively clean safety record: 0 violations across 2 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

$0
OSHA penalties
0
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections

Northwestern University in Chicago, IL has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 0 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Northwestern University 2 times across a longer 8-year span, an infrequent cadence. None of these inspections resulted in a citation. Against the Educational Services industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, North Tonawanda City School District - Ohio Elementary School in North Tonawanda, NY is another educational services employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

0.0
violations per inspection
0.0%
of violations were serious

What the Data Says About Northwestern University

The federal enforcement record for Northwestern University in Chicago, IL shows 2 OSHA inspections with zero violations cited, a cleaner record than the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.

No OSHA penalty has been assessed against Northwestern University to date. The Educational Services sector average runs $3,013 per employer.

Inspection activity spans from 2018-02-02 to 2026-03-16, a window of roughly 8 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2018-02-02

Last Inspection

2026-03-16

Inspection Span

8 yrs

Violations / Inspection

0.0

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$0

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,198

What this shows 2 inspections over 8 years, averaging 0.0 violations per visit. That's $0 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,198.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

How Northwestern University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,199 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Northwestern University Industry Avg
Inspections 2 2.5
Violations 0 5.7
Total Penalty $0 $3,013
Avg Penalty per Inspection $0 $1,198

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Compare Northwestern University vs TN Board of Regents - Tcat - Nashville side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Northwestern University safe to work at?
Based on OSHA records, Northwestern University's workplace safety record is relatively clean, with fewer violations than typical. The employer has 0 violations across 2 inspections. Compared to Educational Services industry peers, this is below average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Northwestern University have?
Northwestern University has 0 OSHA violations on record, including 0 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $0.
How many OSHA inspections has Northwestern University had?
Northwestern University has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2018-02-02 and the most recent on 2026-03-16. This averages 0.0 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Northwestern University?
Northwestern University has been assessed $0 in current OSHA penalties.
What industry does Northwestern University operate in?
Northwestern University operates in the Educational Services sector (NAICS code 611310). This industry has 3,199 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 8,044 total OSHA inspections and $9.64M in cumulative penalties.
How does Northwestern University's safety record compare to industry average?
Northwestern University's total OSHA penalty of $0 is below the Educational Services industry average of $3,013 per employer. The employer has 2 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, North Tonawanda City School District - Ohio Elementary School in North Tonawanda, NY is a similar educational services employer with $0 in current penalties.

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What to check next

Northwestern University'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 2 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.