Construction · Columbia, SC
University of South Carolina
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), University of South Carolina ranks #93,058 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a relatively clean safety record: 1 violations across 9 inspections.
- $490
- OSHA penalties
- 1
- Violations cited
- 9
- OSHA inspections
- #93,058
- of 99,447 penalized employers
University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC has been the subject of 9 OSHA workplace inspections and 1 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $490. Federal wage-and-hour enforcement records also show 3 WHD violations against this employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected University of South Carolina 9 times over 4 years - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in just 1 violation, averaging 0.1 per inspection - fewer than typical. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #93,058 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (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 Construction industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs well above peers (4.5x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $2,585 in back wages owed to 1 affected worker. For comparison, Copper Works, INC. in Charlotte, NC is another construction employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $3,075 in current penalties.
- 0.1
- violations per inspection
- 100.0%
- of violations were serious
- #93,058
- of 99,447 penalized employers
- $2,585
- in back wages recovered
Compliance score
- B OSHA safety compliance: 1 violation across 9 OSHA inspections (0.1 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
- B Wage & hour compliance: $3K in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($3K per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
How University of South Carolina compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Construction per-employer average
- University of South Ca… $490
University of South Carolina
$490 in penalties
- Construction avg
Construction industry average (per employer)
$6,767 in penalties
What this shows University of South Carolina runs well below peers (0.07x 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
$490 Top 6% most affordable more affordable than 94% 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 Construction employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is University of South Carolina.
University of South Carolina in the Construction enforcement ledger
Construction sector: University of South Carolina is the #31,007 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 33,222 employers with nonzero fines ($490). On wage-and-hour enforcement alone, University of South Carolina ranks #10,741 among 12,785 Construction employers with WHD recoveries ($2,585).
Combined federal exposure here: $490 OSHA penalties plus $2,585 WHD back wages (84.1% of the combined total is wage recovery).
How University of South Carolina Compares
University of South Carolina's 0.11 violations per inspection compares to the Construction sector average of 3.3 violations per employer.
Against the Construction industry average of $6,767 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs well below peers (0.07x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
9
First Inspection
2010-03-23
Last Inspection
2014-06-17
Inspection Span
4 yrs
Violations / Inspection
0.1
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$54
Industry Avg / Inspection
$3,361
What this shows 9 inspections over 4 years, averaging 0.1 violations per visit. That's $54 per inspection vs. the Construction average of $3,361.
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
$490
Current Penalty Amount
$490
Penalty Reduction
None
Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)
$3,075
What this shows No reduction on record. The current penalty matches the original OSHA assessment.
Wage & Hour Findings
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that University of South Carolina owed $2,585 in back wages to 1 employee across 1 case and 3 violations. WHD enforces federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covering minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards.
Industry Safety Context: Construction
How University of South Carolina compares to the Construction sector, which has 61,260 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | University of South Carolina | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 9 | 2.0 |
| Violations | 1 | 3.3 |
| Total Penalty | $490 | $6,767 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $54 | $3,361 |
Nationwide Construction peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for University of South Carolina, both outside SC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($490 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (9 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Construction
Showing 5 of 61259 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare University of South Carolina vs Gilpin Roofing and Siding, INC. side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use University of South Carolina's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare University of South Carolina against Gilpin Roofing and Siding, INC., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether University of South Carolina's inspection and penalty record is typical for Construction or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Construction sector
- University of South Carolina also carries $2,585 in Wage and Hour Division back-wages, a separate enforcement track from OSHA safety violations. How wage-theft enforcement works
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.