Educational Services · Tacoma, WA

Pacific Lutheran University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Pacific Lutheran University has a relatively clean safety record: 1 violations across 2 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Lower half by penalty100% serious
$700
OSHA penalties
1
Violations cited
2
OSHA inspections
#91,242
of 100,495 penalized employers

Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 1 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $700. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Pacific Lutheran University 2 times over 1 year - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in 1 violation, averaging 0.5 per inspection, on the lighter side. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the lower half of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 1 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. 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, George Mason University in Fairfax, VA is another educational services employer with 7 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

0.5
violations per inspection
100.0%
of violations were serious
9%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Pacific Lutheran University compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Educational Services per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Pacific Lutheran University runs well below peers (0.23x 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

$700 Top 9% most affordable more affordable than 91% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). This entry sits in this band. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Above this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Above this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $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 Pacific Lutheran University

The federal enforcement record for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA includes 2 OSHA inspections and 1 violation, translating to 0.50 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 1 (100.0%) 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 $700 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $700 - no reduction from the original assessment. Average penalty per inspection works out to $350. Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,013 per employer, this record runs well below peers (0.23x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2013-10-04 to 2013-12-12, a window of roughly 1 year.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

2

First Inspection

2013-10-04

Last Inspection

2013-12-12

Inspection Span

1 yr

Violations / Inspection

0.5

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$350

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,198

What this shows 2 inspections over 1 year, averaging 0.5 violations per visit. That's $350 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,198.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

1

Serious

100.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

0

Other-Than-Serious

0.0% 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.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$700

Current Penalty Amount

$700

Penalty Reduction

None

What this shows No reduction on record. The current penalty matches the original OSHA assessment.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

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

Metric Pacific Lutheran University Industry Avg
Inspections 2 2.5
Violations 1 5.7
Total Penalty $700 $3,013
Avg Penalty per Inspection $350 $1,198

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Compare Pacific Lutheran University vs San Lorenzo Unified School District side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pacific Lutheran University safe to work at?
Based on OSHA records, Pacific Lutheran University's workplace safety record is relatively clean, with fewer violations than typical. The employer has 1 violations across 2 inspections, including 1 serious violations. 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 Pacific Lutheran University have?
Pacific Lutheran University has 1 OSHA violations on record, including 1 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $700.
How many OSHA inspections has Pacific Lutheran University had?
Pacific Lutheran University has had 2 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2013-10-04 and the most recent on 2013-12-12. This averages 0.5 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Pacific Lutheran University?
Pacific Lutheran University has been assessed $700 in current OSHA penalties.
Does Pacific Lutheran University have any serious or willful violations?
Yes. Pacific Lutheran University has 1 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 Pacific Lutheran University operate in?
Pacific Lutheran 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 Pacific Lutheran University's safety record compare to industry average?
Pacific Lutheran University's total OSHA penalty of $700 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, George Mason University in Fairfax, VA is a similar educational services employer with $0 in current penalties.

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What to check next

Pacific Lutheran 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.