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Employers › CO

Transportation & Warehousing · Denver, CO

Southwest Airlines

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Southwest Airlines has a relatively clean safety record: 2 violations across 3 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Upper half by penalty0% serious
$6,800
OSHA penalties
2
Violations cited
3
OSHA inspections
#47,099
of 100,495 penalized employers

Southwest Airlines in Denver, CO has been the subject of 3 OSHA workplace inspections and 2 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $6,800. 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 3 times over 5 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 2 violations, averaging 0.7 per inspection, on the lighter side. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the upper half of penalized employers nationally. Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs moderately above peers (1.6x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Nalara Quality Systems in Commerce Township, MI is another transportation & warehousing employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $6,800 in current penalties.

0.7
violations per inspection
0.0%
of violations were serious
53%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Southwest Airlines compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Transportation & Warehousing per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Southwest Airlines sits roughly in line with peers (1.1x 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

$6,800 Bottom 47% least affordable more affordable than 47% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Southwest Airlines

The federal enforcement record for Southwest Airlines in Denver, CO includes 3 OSHA inspections and 2 violations, translating to 0.67 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 0 (0.0%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat.

OSHA assessed $6,800 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $6,800 - no reduction from the original assessment. Average penalty per inspection works out to $2,267. Against the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of $6,058 per employer, this record sits roughly in line with peers (1.1x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2011-05-17 to 2016-07-13, a window of roughly 5 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

3

First Inspection

2011-05-17

Last Inspection

2016-07-13

Inspection Span

5 yrs

Violations / Inspection

0.7

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$2,267

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,294

What this shows 3 inspections over 5 years, averaging 0.7 violations per visit. That's $2,267 per inspection vs. the Transportation & Warehousing average of $3,294.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

0

Serious

0.0% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

2

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

$6,800

Current Penalty Amount

$6,800

Penalty Reduction

None

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

Industry Safety Context: Transportation & Warehousing

How Southwest Airlines compares to the Transportation & Warehousing sector, which has 10,024 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Southwest Airlines Industry Avg
Inspections 3 1.8
Violations 2 3.2
Total Penalty $6,800 $6,058
Avg Penalty per Inspection $2,267 $3,294
View all 10,024 employers in Transportation & Warehousing →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Transportation & Warehousing

Demoulas Super Markets, INC.
Andover, MA
9 inspections $6,800
Ups
Commerce City, CO
2 inspections $6,800
Aps West Coast INC.
Benicia, CA
2 inspections $6,800
Body-Solid, INC.
Forest Park, IL
2 inspections $6,800
Nalara Quality Systems
Commerce Township, MI
2 inspections $6,800

Compare Southwest Airlines vs Demoulas Super Markets, INC. side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Southwest Airlines safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Southwest Airlines's workplace safety record is relatively clean, with fewer violations than typical. The employer has 2 violations across 3 inspections. Compared to Transportation & Warehousing industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Southwest Airlines have? ▼
Southwest Airlines has 2 OSHA violations on record, including 0 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $6,800.
How many OSHA inspections has Southwest Airlines had? ▼
Southwest Airlines has had 3 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2011-05-17 and the most recent on 2016-07-13. This averages 0.7 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Southwest Airlines? ▼
Southwest Airlines has been assessed $6,800 in current OSHA penalties.
What industry does Southwest Airlines operate in? ▼
Southwest Airlines operates in the Transportation & Warehousing sector (NAICS code 481111). This industry has 10,024 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 18,434 total OSHA inspections and $60.73M in cumulative penalties.
How does Southwest Airlines's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Southwest Airlines's total OSHA penalty of $6,800 is above the Transportation & Warehousing industry average of $6,058 per employer (1.1x the average). The employer has 3 inspections compared to the industry average of 1.8 per employer. For a direct comparison, Nalara Quality Systems in Commerce Township, MI is a similar transportation & warehousing employer with $6,800 in current penalties.

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Transportation & Warehousing Industry

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What to check next

Southwest Airlines'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.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

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