States › Tennessee

State enforcement profile · #19 of 56 by penalties

Workplace enforcement in Tennessee

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Tennessee has 6,262 employers in the federal enforcement record, with 11,286 OSHA inspections and $24.6M in penalties assessed. The state's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $57.0M in back wages across 2,035 enforcement cases.

6,262
Employers
11,286
Inspections
$24.6M
OSHA penalties
$57.0M
Back wages

The state in one line

Tennessee ranks #19 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions by total OSHA penalties, with 38,865 violations cited across 11,286 inspections and $57.0M in wages recovered for workers.

#19
of 56 states by penalties
3.44
violations per inspection
$4K
avg penalty per employer
2,035
WHD wage-theft cases

What to check next

Tennessee'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.

What the data says about Tennessee

Federal workplace enforcement in Tennessee covers 6,262 employers with 11,286 total OSHA inspections on record. Inspectors documented 38,865 violations statewide, yielding 3.44 violations per inspection on average. OSHA has assessed $24.6M in penalties against employers in the state, averaging $4K per tracked employer.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) adds a separate enforcement layer, recovering $57.0M in back wages across 2,035 cases - an average of $28K 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.

How Tennessee compares to similarly-sized states

Total OSHA penalties: states with a similar number of tracked employers

  1. 1
    Ohio $106,180,403
  2. 2
    Georgia $57,227,186
  3. 3
    Tennessee (this state) $24,610,636
  4. 4
    Washington $12,220,960
  5. 5
    North Carolina $10,686,507
  6. 6
    Oregon $5,783,273

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Where Tennessee ranks nationally

Average OSHA penalty per tracked employer, vs all 56 U.S. jurisdictions

$3,930 Bottom 25% least affordable more affordable than 25% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions

$0–$2,000: 5 U.S. jurisdictions (9%). Below this entry. $2,000–$4,000: 11 U.S. jurisdictions (20%). This entry sits in this band. $4,000–$6,000: 15 U.S. jurisdictions (27%). Above this entry. $6,000–$8,000: 10 U.S. jurisdictions (18%). Above this entry. $8,000–$10,000: 5 U.S. jurisdictions (9%). Above this entry. $10,000–$12,000: 4 U.S. jurisdictions (7%). Above this entry. $12,000–$14,000: 2 U.S. jurisdictions (4%). Above this entry. $14,000–$16,000: 3 U.S. jurisdictions (5%). Above this entry. $16,000–$18,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. $18,000–$20,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. $20,000–$22,000: 1 U.S. jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. $22,000–$24,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. Tennessee $0 $24,000 every U.S. jurisdiction, bucketed by value

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 Tennessee

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 InspectionsViolationsPenalty + wages
1 Supreme Labor Source (Sub to RDI) Clarksville 0 0 $7.3M
2 Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC MC Ewen 2 105 $3.1M
3 McKesson Specialty Distribution, LLC Memphis 0 0 $1.6M
4 No Place Like Home Collierville 0 0 $1.1M
5 On Call Staffing Memphis 0 0 $800K
6 American Ordnance Milan 0 0 $678K
7 Robinson Aviation Nashville 0 0 $600K
8 Western Express Nashville 0 0 $476K
9 Prisoner Transportation Services (PTS) of Ame Nashville 0 0 $446K
10 Big South Fork Medical Center Oneida 0 0 $386K
11 Casa Vieja Hendersonville 0 0 $376K
12 621610 -- Servants Quest Oliver Springs 0 0 $359K
13 Pat Salmon & Sons Memphis 0 0 $350K
14 Kilgore Flares Company LLC Toone 8 51 $350K
15 Hankook Tire Manufacturing Clarksville 0 0 $343K
16 Lakeway Achievement Center Morristown 0 0 $343K
17 Eagle Medical Service Memphis 0 0 $328K
18 Emory Valley Center Oak Ridge 0 0 $324K
19 TransCor America Nashville 0 0 $322K
20 BSH Home Appliances Corporation Jacksboro 2 5 $318K

All employers in Tennessee

Employer CityInspectionsPenalty
Dyer - Public Works Dyer 2 $0
Knox Chapman Utility District - Warehouse Knoxville 2 $0
Knox Chapman Utility District - Water Treatment Plant Knoxville 2 $0
Petersburg - Water Department Petersburg 2 $0
Tennessee Valley Authority Chattanooga 2 $0
Cookeville - Gas Department Cookeville 2 $0
Lauderdale County - Landfill Ripley 2 $0
TN Commission on Aging & Disability - Nashville Nashville 2 $0
White Bluff - Fire Department White Bluff 2 $0
Hoar Construction, LLC Nashville 4 $0
Parsons - Water Department Parsons 2 $0
Parsons - Street Department Parsons 2 $0
Puryear - Sewer Department Puryear 2 $0
Springfield - Public Works Springfield 2 $0
Alexandria - Police Department Alexandria 3 $0
Ocoee Utility District - Maintenance Cleveland 4 $0
Ocoee Utility District - Water Plant Cleveland 2 $0
Baneberry - City Hall Baneberry 3 $0
Bristol Tennessee City Schools - Fairmount Elementary School Bristol 2 $0
Bristol Tennessee Essential Services - Operations Bristol 2 $0
Bristol Tennessee Essential Services - Garage Bristol 2 $0
Arlington Community Schools - Donelson Elementary Arlington 2 $0
Arlington Community Schools - Arlington Elementary Arlington 2 $0
Monteagle - Library Monteagle 2 $0
Millington Municipal Schools - High School Millington 2 $0
Holcim (US) INC. Nashville 2 $0
TN Department of Transportation - Region 4 - Bridge Inspectors Memphis 2 $0
Huntsville - Administration Huntsville 2 $0
Ergon Terminaling INC. Chattanooga 5 $0
Serodino, INC. Chattanooga 2 $0
Newport Utilities - Operations Center Newport 3 $0
Consolidated Utility District of Rutherford County - Operations Department Murfreesboro 2 $0
Tennessee Tech University - Maintenance Department Cookeville 3 $0
Halls - Public Works Halls 2 $0
Campbell County - Sheriff's Department Jacksboro 2 $0
Union City Schools - Elementary School Union City 2 $0
Adm River Port Memphis 4 $0
Claiborne Utilities District - Water Treatment Plant New Tazewell 2 $0
New Johnsonville - City Hall New Johnsonville 2 $0
Clinton Utilities Board - Warehouse Clinton 3 $0
Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority - Sign Shop Memphis 2 $0
Eastside Utility District - Water Plant Chattanooga 4 $0
TN Secretary of State - Nashville - TN Tower Nashville 2 $0
Anderson County Water Authority - Water Treatment Plant 1 Clinton 2 $0
TN Board of Regents - Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga 3 $0
Tusculum - Public Works Greeneville 3 $0
Baker Roofing Company (Qualified Under Assumed Name) Nashville 2 $0
Pulaski - Street Department Pulaski 2 $0
Blount County Fire Protection District - Station 4 Maryville 2 $0
Harrogate - Maintenance Building Harrogate 2 $0
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Nearby states by enforcement footprint

Compare top violators in Tennessee side-by-side →

Industries in Tennessee

Enforcement and wage-compliance data broken out by industry sector within Tennessee.

Top Cities in Tennessee

The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Tennessee (of 242 total).

View all 242 cities in Tennessee →

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.