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State enforcement profile · #19 of 56 by penalties · ABOVE-US

Tennessee — high violations-per-inspection rate

Tennessee cites 3.44 violations per inspection vs a 2.26 national inspection-weighted average — 38,865 violations across 11,286 inspections.

6,061
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

OSHA citation docket

State IMIS book TN · Tennessee ABOVE-US · MID-PPE

#19/56 · 11,286 insp · $24.6M

  • BOOK 6,061 employers
  • INSP 11,286 inspections
  • RANK #19 of 56
  • PEN $24.6M
  • RATE 3.44 viol/insp
  • VS-US ABOVE-US
  • WHD $57.0M
  • PHOTO North Carolina

Nearest employer-book peer: North Carolina ($13.9M penalty gap)

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. OSHA IMIS + DOL WHD citation stamps for this jurisdiction. Read with this state → · Worst-cited employer → · Similar-footprint state → · Compare employers →

Tennessee in the OSHA-penalty neighbourhood

Total assessed OSHA penalties among this state and nearest employer-book peers

penalties

What this shows Tennessee carries $24.6M in assessed OSHA penalties, ranked #19 of 56 jurisdictions.

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

Where Tennessee ranks nationally

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

$4,060 Bottom 29% least affordable more affordable than 29% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions

$0–$2,000: 5 U.S. jurisdictions (9%). Below this entry. $2,000–$4,000: 9 U.S. jurisdictions (16%). Below this entry. $4,000–$6,000: 17 U.S. jurisdictions (30%). This entry sits in this band. $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

Do more violations mean harsher penalties?

Each dot is one of the 56 U.S. jurisdictions with both violation and penalty data, placed by total violations cited and the average current penalty per violation. The highlighted dot is Tennessee.

High volume, high penaltyLow volume, high penaltyHigh volume, low penaltyBelow median on both020897.041793.962690.983587.9$26.7$1330.4$2634.1$3937.8$5241.6Total violations citedAverage penalty per violationCalifornia, Total violations cited: 62917 · Average penalty per violation: $1931.91New Jersey, Total violations cited: 51588 · Average penalty per violation: $2257.14Texas, Total violations cited: 37481 · Average penalty per violation: $3006.51Ohio, Total violations cited: 33085 · Average penalty per violation: $3209.32Illinois, Total violations cited: 38576 · Average penalty per violation: $2518.72Pennsylvania, Total violations cited: 34307 · Average penalty per violation: $2124.18New York, Total violations cited: 79647 · Average penalty per violation: $851.4Wisconsin, Total violations cited: 23614 · Average penalty per violation: $2667.32Florida, Total violations cited: 20137 · Average penalty per violation: $2911.21Georgia, Total violations cited: 23607 · Average penalty per violation: $2424.16Virginia, Total violations cited: 29121 · Average penalty per violation: $1651.15Michigan, Total violations cited: 67640 · Average penalty per violation: $671.06Alabama, Total violations cited: 14683 · Average penalty per violation: $2955.54Nevada, Total violations cited: 18844 · Average penalty per violation: $1778.2Missouri, Total violations cited: 12358 · Average penalty per violation: $2481.04Massachusetts, Total violations cited: 12091 · Average penalty per violation: $2401.87Connecticut, Total violations cited: 23647 · Average penalty per violation: $1188.05Kansas, Total violations cited: 9514 · Average penalty per violation: $2852.86Tennessee, Total violations cited: 38865 · Average penalty per violation: $633.23Colorado, Total violations cited: 11833 · Average penalty per violation: $1925.51Iowa, Total violations cited: 10267 · Average penalty per violation: $1892.75Nebraska, Total violations cited: 4514 · Average penalty per violation: $3581.2Oklahoma, Total violations cited: 5020 · Average penalty per violation: $2618.51Maryland, Total violations cited: 24360 · Average penalty per violation: $537.35Hawaii, Total violations cited: 9120 · Average penalty per violation: $1397.7Washington, Total violations cited: 28812 · Average penalty per violation: $424.16Alaska, Total violations cited: 11441 · Average penalty per violation: $1050.89Mississippi, Total violations cited: 4912 · Average penalty per violation: $2280.7North Carolina, Total violations cited: 18017 · Average penalty per violation: $593.13Arkansas, Total violations cited: 3343 · Average penalty per violation: $3153.71Maine, Total violations cited: 8054 · Average penalty per violation: $1235.73Puerto Rico, Total violations cited: 11369 · Average penalty per violation: $851.43Delaware, Total violations cited: 1884 · Average penalty per violation: $5004.52Louisiana, Total violations cited: 3408 · Average penalty per violation: $2525.26North Dakota, Total violations cited: 1761 · Average penalty per violation: $4787.03New Hampshire, Total violations cited: 3281 · Average penalty per violation: $2336.7Idaho, Total violations cited: 3829 · Average penalty per violation: $1867.02West Virginia, Total violations cited: 3289 · Average penalty per violation: $2142.24Utah, Total violations cited: 6414 · Average penalty per violation: $1044.66Rhode Island, Total violations cited: 3528 · Average penalty per violation: $1806.54Indiana, Total violations cited: 4225 · Average penalty per violation: $1430.22South Dakota, Total violations cited: 1901 · Average penalty per violation: $3123.16Oregon, Total violations cited: 21930 · Average penalty per violation: $263.72Kentucky, Total violations cited: 3171 · Average penalty per violation: $1801.2Montana, Total violations cited: 2718 · Average penalty per violation: $2076Minnesota, Total violations cited: 9173 · Average penalty per violation: $604.31New Mexico, Total violations cited: 2690 · Average penalty per violation: $1987.11Wyoming, Total violations cited: 2936 · Average penalty per violation: $1582.38Guam, Total violations cited: 3356 · Average penalty per violation: $1368.12Vermont, Total violations cited: 3044 · Average penalty per violation: $1498.54Arizona, Total violations cited: 8689 · Average penalty per violation: $523.14District of Columbia, Total violations cited: 2002 · Average penalty per violation: $1600.22South Carolina, Total violations cited: 5382 · Average penalty per violation: $551.38American Samoa, Total violations cited: 829 · Average penalty per violation: $3521.93Virgin Islands, Total violations cited: 2592 · Average penalty per violation: $737.45Northern Mariana Islands, Total violations cited: 943 · Average penalty per violation: $1423.52
Tennessee cites 38,865 total violations at an average current penalty of $633.23 per violation. The crosshair marks the median jurisdiction on both axes. Across this dataset, citing more violations is mildly ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER average penalty per violation, not a higher one -- the opposite of what volume alone might suggest.

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.

#EmployerInspectionsViolationsPenalty + wages
1Supreme Labor Source (Sub to RDI)Clarksville00$7.3M
2Accurate Energetic Systems, LLCMC Ewen2105$3.1M
3McKesson Specialty Distribution, LLCMemphis00$1.6M
4No Place Like HomeCollierville00$1.1M
5On Call StaffingMemphis00$800K
6American OrdnanceMilan00$678K
7Robinson AviationNashville00$600K
8Hankook Tire Manufacturing Tennessee LPClarksville3278$550K
9Western ExpressNashville00$476K
10Prisoner Transportation Services (PTS) of AmeNashville00$446K
11Big South Fork Medical CenterOneida00$386K
12Casa ViejaHendersonville00$376K
13621610 -- Servants QuestOliver Springs00$359K
14Pat Salmon & SonsMemphis00$350K
15Kilgore Flares Company LLCToone851$350K
16Hankook Tire ManufacturingClarksville00$343K
17Lakeway Achievement CenterMorristown00$343K
18Eagle Medical ServiceMemphis00$328K
19Emory Valley CenterOak Ridge00$324K
20TransCor AmericaNashville00$322K

All employers in Tennessee

EmployerCityInspectionsPenalty
Gibson County Utility District - WarehouseTrenton3$0
Lafollette - Street DepartmentLA Follette2$0
Henderson County - Solid WasteLexington2$0
Shelby County - Sheriff's DepartmentMemphis3$0
Clinton - Police DepartmentClinton2$0
Humane and Educational Society of ChattanoogaChattanooga3$0
Perry County - Street DepartmentLinden2$0
Collinwood - Utility DepartmentCollinwood2$0
Brownsville Utility - Electric DepartmentBrownsville2$0
Aircraft Service International, INC.Nashville2$0
Webb Creek Utility District - Wastewater Treatment PlantGatlinburg2$0
TN Board of Regents - Tcat - NewbernNewbern2$0
Rocky Top - Police DepartmentRocky Top2$0
TN Board of Regents - Tcat - WhitevilleWhiteville2$0
Adient US LLCMurfreesboro2$0
Smith County - Transportation DepartmentCarthage2$0
Smith County - LandfillCarthage2$0
Carderview Utility District - Parts BuildingButler2$0
Milan Special School District - Alternative SchoolMilan2$0
TN Douglas Henry State Museum Commission- NashvilleNashville5$0
Sharon - City HallSharon2$0
Springfield - Wastewater Treatment PlantSpringfield2$0
Shady Grove Utility District - Operations BuildingDandridge2$0
Trezevant - Street DepartmentTrezevant3$0
Dyer - Fire DepartmentDyer2$0
Huntsville - Sewer DepartmentHuntsville2$0
Memphis Light Gas & Water - North Service CenterMemphis2$0
Metro Nashville Airport Authority - AdministrationNashville2$0
Lauderdale County - Animal ShelterRipley2$0
Glen Hills Utility - Supply LotGreeneville2$0
Weakley County - Bus GarageDresden2$0
Weakley County - Highway DepartmentDresden2$0
Puryear - Water DepartmentPuryear3$0
Puryear - City HallPuryear2$0
Bristol Tennessee City Schools - Haynesfield Elementary SchoolBristol2$0
U.S. Army Corps of EngineersMemphis2$0
Lakeland Municipal School District - Elementary SchoolLakeland2$0
Lawrence County - Highway DepartmentLawrenceburg2$0
TN Board of Regents - Northeast State Community CollegeBlountville2$0
Brentwood - Service CenterBrentwood3$0
Millington Municipal Schools - Middle SchoolMillington2$0
Water Authority of Dickson County - White Bluff Wastewater Treatment PlantWhite Bluff2$0
North Greene Utility - Water Treatment PlantGreeneville2$0
Troy - Water DepartmentTroy2$0
Halls - Senior CenterHalls2$0
Dollar General CorporationFairview2$0
Chuckey Utility District - Maintenance DepartmentChuckey2$0
Gates - Water DepartmentGates3$0
Powells Crossroads - Parks & RecreationPowells Crossroads2$0
Target CorporationHixson2$0
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Industries in Tennessee

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

Accommodation & Food ServicesAdministrative & Waste ServicesAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & HuntingArts, Entertainment & RecreationConstructionEducational ServicesFinance & InsuranceHealthcare & Social AssistanceInformationManagement of CompaniesManufacturingMining, Quarrying, Oil & GasOtherOther ServicesProfessional & Technical ServicesPublic AdministrationReal Estate & RentalRetail TradeTransportation & WarehousingUtilitiesWholesale Trade

Top Cities in Tennessee

The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Tennessee (of 236 total).

Nashville (598)Memphis (527)Knoxville (295)Chattanooga (203)Jackson (150)Murfreesboro (145)Clarksville (122)Johnson City (91)Kingsport (81)Franklin (81)Greeneville (65)Lebanon (59)Morristown (59)Cleveland (54)Crossville (46)Hendersonville (45)LA Vergne (44)Paris (44)Columbia (43)Mount Juliet (42)

View all 236 cities in Tennessee →

Nationwide states with similar OSHA penalties or violation rates

Two enforcement-record peer sets for Tennessee: nearest jurisdictions by total assessed OSHA penalties and by violations per inspection. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the employer-book peers above.

Similar total OSHA penalties

Nearest jurisdictions by total assessed OSHA penalties ($24.6M here).

Colorado $22.8M Kansas $27.1M Connecticut $28.1M Massachusetts $29.0M

Similar violations per inspection

States with similarly high violations-per-inspection rates (3.44 here vs 2.26 US average).

Maine 3.14/insp New Jersey 2.97/insp Alaska 2.86/insp Michigan 2.73/insp

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 →