Transportation & Warehousing · San Jose, CA
Southwest Airlines CO.
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Southwest Airlines CO. ranks #59,057 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 4 violations across 2 inspections.
- $4,400
- OSHA penalties
- 4
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #59,057
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Southwest Airlines CO. in San Jose, CA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 4 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $4,400. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Southwest Airlines CO. 2 times across a longer 10-year span, an infrequent cadence. These inspections resulted in 4 violations, averaging 2.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #59,057 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this sits roughly in line with peers (1.1x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Cactus Transport INC. in El Paso, TX is another transportation & warehousing employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $4,400 in current penalties.
- 2.0
- violations per inspection
- 0.0%
- of violations were serious
- #59,057
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- D OSHA safety compliance: 4 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (2.0 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 Southwest Airlines CO. compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Transportation & Warehousing per-employer average
- Southwest Airlines CO.
Southwest Airlines CO.
$4,400 in penalties
- Transportation & Warehousing avg
Transportation & Warehousing industry average (per employer)
$6,129 in penalties
What this shows Southwest Airlines CO. runs moderately below peers (0.7x 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
$4,400 Top 41% most affordable more affordable than 59% 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 Transportation & Warehousing employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Southwest Airlines CO..
Southwest Airlines CO. in the Transportation & Warehousing enforcement ledger
Among 4,071 Transportation & Warehousing employers with OSHA penalties on file, Southwest Airlines CO. ranks #2,541 at $4,400 current penalty.
How Southwest Airlines CO. Compares
Southwest Airlines CO.'s 2.00 violations per inspection compares to the Transportation & Warehousing sector average of 3.2 violations per employer.
Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of $6,129 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately below peers (0.7x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2011-10-05
Last Inspection
2021-10-13
Inspection Span
10 yrs
Violations / Inspection
2.0
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$2,200
Industry Avg / Inspection
$3,295
What this shows 2 inspections over 10 years, averaging 2.0 violations per visit. That's $2,200 per inspection vs. the Transportation & Warehousing average of $3,295.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
0
Serious
0.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
4
Other-Than-Serious
100.0% 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
$19,400
Current Penalty Amount
$4,400
Penalty Reduction
77.3%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $15,000 from the initial assessment of $19,400. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Transportation & Warehousing
How Southwest Airlines CO. compares to the Transportation & Warehousing sector, which has 9,914 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Southwest Airlines CO. | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 1.9 |
| Violations | 4 | 3.2 |
| Total Penalty | $4,400 | $6,129 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $2,200 | $3,295 |
Nationwide Transportation & Warehousing peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Southwest Airlines CO., both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($4,400 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Transportation & Warehousing
Showing 5 of 9913 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Southwest Airlines CO. vs Cactus Transport INC. side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Southwest Airlines CO.'s enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Southwest Airlines CO. against Cactus Transport INC., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Southwest Airlines CO.'s inspection and penalty record is typical for Transportation & Warehousing or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Transportation & Warehousing 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.