State enforcement profile · #21 of 56 by penalties
Workplace enforcement in Iowa
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Iowa has 2,618 employers in the federal enforcement record, with 4,770 OSHA inspections and $19.4M in penalties assessed. The state's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $21.8M in back wages across 1,077 enforcement cases.
- 2,618
- Employers
- 4,770
- Inspections
- $19.4M
- OSHA penalties
- $21.8M
- Back wages
The state in one line
Iowa ranks #21 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions by total OSHA penalties, with 10,267 violations cited across 4,770 inspections and $21.8M in wages recovered for workers.
- #21
- of 56 states by penalties
- 2.15
- violations per inspection
- $7K
- avg penalty per employer
- 1,077
- WHD wage-theft cases
What to check next
Iowa's enforcement record is one jurisdiction in a national pattern. Treat it as a benchmark to drill down from, not a verdict on the state overall.
- Iowa averages 2.15 violations per inspection, at or below the 2.21 national average across 56 states.
- See Iowa's single worst-cited employer in full detail. Gronen Restoration Inc. record
- Compare Iowa against a similarly-sized state by employer count. South Carolina record
- Put two employers head-to-head on inspections, penalties, and back wages. Compare employers
What the data says about Iowa
Federal workplace enforcement in Iowa covers 2,618 employers with 4,770 total OSHA inspections on record. Inspectors documented 10,267 violations statewide, yielding 2.15 violations per inspection on average. OSHA has assessed $19.4M in penalties against employers in the state, averaging $7K per tracked employer.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) adds a separate enforcement layer, recovering $21.8M in back wages across 1,077 cases - an average of $20K per case. Combined OSHA and WHD enforcement activity gives workers, journalists, and researchers a verifiable record of which employers have been cited and which workplaces regulators have prioritized.
The employers listed on this page represent workplaces with at least two OSHA inspections or $1,000 or more in WHD back wages owed. Data is sourced directly from data.dol.gov. Penalty figures are current assessed amounts, reflecting any settlements, informal conference reductions, or formal contest outcomes. Click any employer below to view their full inspection history, violation breakdown by severity, and wage-compliance record.
Where Iowa ranks nationally
Average OSHA penalty per tracked employer, vs all 56 U.S. jurisdictions
$7,423 Top 36% most affordable more affordable than 64% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions
Each bar is a $2K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. jurisdictions. 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
Top OSHA & wage enforcement actions in Iowa
Ranked by combined OSHA penalties and DOL Wage & Hour Division back wages. Some employers below have wage-theft cases with zero OSHA safety violations, or vice versa; check the Inspections/Violations columns before drawing safety conclusions.
| # | Employer | Inspections | Violations | Penalty + wages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gronen Restoration Inc. Dubuque | 0 | 0 | $732K |
| 2 | Alaniz Metro Group Mount Pleasant | 0 | 0 | $655K |
| 3 | El Rodeo Clive | 0 | 0 | $629K |
| 4 | Kraft Heinz Muscatine | 5 | 18 | $624K |
| 5 | Seaboard Triumph Foods Sioux City | 20 | 39 | $464K |
| 6 | Waterloo Processing, LLC Waterloo | 4 | 40 | $444K |
| 7 | Vangent Inc. Coralville | 0 | 0 | $373K |
| 8 | Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Des Moines | 12 | 71 | $367K |
| 9 | Schneider National Carriers, Inc. Amana | 0 | 0 | $299K |
| 10 | Hy-Vee, Inc. West Des Moines | 0 | 0 | $296K |
| 11 | Barn Town Brewing West Des Moines | 0 | 0 | $291K |
| 12 | Midwest Torching & Maintenance Clive | 0 | 0 | $288K |
| 13 | Tivoli Inn & Suites Elk Horn | 0 | 0 | $284K |
| 14 | Borghi USA INC. Oil Hydraulic Conduits West Burlington | 4 | 23 | $282K |
| 15 | Precision of New Hampton New Hampton | 0 | 0 | $280K |
| 16 | ITA Group West Des Moines | 0 | 0 | $269K |
| 17 | CH Inc. Council Bluffs | 0 | 0 | $269K |
| 18 | Heartland Tire and Auto Waukee | 0 | 0 | $217K |
| 19 | TM1 Stop, LLC. Iowa City | 0 | 0 | $211K |
| 20 | Nationwide Insurance Des Moines | 0 | 0 | $210K |
All employers in Iowa
Nearby states by enforcement footprint
Industries in Iowa
Enforcement and wage-compliance data broken out by industry sector within Iowa.
Top Cities in Iowa
The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Iowa (of 99 total).
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data, U.S. Department of Labor · Verify with OSHA establishment search →
Source: Wage & Hour Division Compliance Actions, U.S. Department of Labor · DOL WHD data →
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.