Educational Services · West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Purdue University has a mixed safety record: 6 violations across 5 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

83% serious
$0
OSHA penalties
6
Violations cited
5
OSHA inspections

Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN has been the subject of 5 OSHA workplace inspections and 6 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 Purdue University 5 times over 10 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 6 violations, averaging 1.2 per inspection. Of these, 5 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 above peers (2.0x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine in Newark, NJ is another educational services employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

1.2
violations per inspection
83.3%
of violations were serious

What the Data Says About Purdue University

The federal enforcement record for Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN includes 5 OSHA inspections and 6 violations, translating to 1.20 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 5 (83.3%) 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.

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

Inspection activity spans from 2013-04-12 to 2022-11-29, a window of roughly 10 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

5

First Inspection

2013-04-12

Last Inspection

2022-11-29

Inspection Span

10 yrs

Violations / Inspection

1.2

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$0

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,198

What this shows 5 inspections over 10 years, averaging 1.2 violations per visit. That's $0 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,198.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

5

Serious

83.3% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

1

Other-Than-Serious

16.7% 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.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

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

Metric Purdue University Industry Avg
Inspections 5 2.5
Violations 6 5.7
Total Penalty $0 $3,013
Avg Penalty per Inspection $0 $1,198

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Compare Purdue University vs Lakeland Central School District side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Purdue University safe to work at?
Based on OSHA records, Purdue University's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 6 violations across 5 inspections, including 5 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 Purdue University have?
Purdue University has 6 OSHA violations on record, including 5 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $0.
How many OSHA inspections has Purdue University had?
Purdue University has had 5 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2013-04-12 and the most recent on 2022-11-29. This averages 1.2 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Purdue University?
Purdue University has been assessed $0 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $23,250 (a 100.0% reduction).
Does Purdue University have any serious or willful violations?
Yes. Purdue University has 5 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 Purdue University operate in?
Purdue 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 Purdue University's safety record compare to industry average?
Purdue University's total OSHA penalty of $0 is below the Educational Services industry average of $3,013 per employer. The employer has 5 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine in Newark, NJ is a similar educational services employer with $0 in current penalties.

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What to check next

Purdue 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 5 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.