Educational Services · Worcester, MA
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #4,326 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 13 violations across 4 inspections.
- $56,228
- OSHA penalties
- 13
- Violations cited
- 4
- OSHA inspections
- #4,326
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA has been the subject of 4 OSHA workplace inspections and 13 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $56,228. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Worcester Polytechnic Institute 4 times over 8 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 13 violations, averaging 3.3 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #4,326 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top 5% of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 9 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 (1.6x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Jersey City School District in Jersey City, NJ is another educational services employer with 3 OSHA inspections on record and $57,000 in current penalties.
- 3.3
- violations per inspection
- 69.2%
- of violations were serious
- #4,326
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 13 violations across 4 OSHA inspections (3.3 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 this employer compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Educational Services per-employer average
- Worcester Polytechnic …
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
$56,228 in penalties
- Educational Services avg $3,025
Educational Services industry average (per employer)
$3,025 in penalties
What this shows Worcester Polytechnic Institute runs far above peers (18.6x 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
$56,228 Bottom 4% least affordable more affordable than 4% 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 Educational Services employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the Educational Services enforcement ledger
Educational Services sector: Worcester Polytechnic Institute is the #20 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 856 employers with nonzero fines ($56,228).
How Worcester Polytechnic Institute Compares
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's 3.25 violations per inspection compares to the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.
Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (18.6x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
4
First Inspection
2015-02-20
Last Inspection
2023-04-06
Inspection Span
8 yrs
Violations / Inspection
3.3
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$14,057
Industry Avg / Inspection
$1,199
What this shows 4 inspections over 8 years, averaging 3.3 violations per visit. That's $14,057 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,199.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
9
Serious
69.2% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
4
Other-Than-Serious
30.8% 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
$66,665
Current Penalty Amount
$56,228
Penalty Reduction
15.7%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $10,437 from the initial assessment of $66,665. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Educational Services
How Worcester Polytechnic Institute compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 4 | 2.5 |
| Violations | 13 | 5.7 |
| Total Penalty | $56,228 | $3,025 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $14,057 | $1,199 |
Nationwide Educational Services peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, both outside MA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($56,228 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (4 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services
Showing 5 of 3185 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Worcester Polytechnic Institute vs Clinton-Glen Gardner School District side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Worcester Polytechnic Institute's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Worcester Polytechnic Institute against Clinton-Glen Gardner School District, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Worcester Polytechnic Institute's inspection and penalty record is typical for Educational Services or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Educational Services 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.