Industry Enforcement Report

Manufacturing Industry OSHA Enforcement Data

A comprehensive analysis of 159,458 manufacturing facilities inspected by OSHA, revealing 1,186,374 violations and $1.18 billion in penalties. Manufacturing carries the highest per-facility penalty rate of any major industry — 2× higher than construction.

159,458
Facilities Inspected
$1.18B
Total Penalties
1,186,374
Total Violations
$7,403
Avg Penalty / Facility
Manufacturing vs. Construction — How They Compare
Higher average penalty per facility than construction
2.4×
More violations per facility than construction
Manufacturing facilities average 7.4 violations per facility compared to construction's 3.1. The combination of heavy machinery, chemical exposure, and complex energy sources makes manufacturing one of the most enforcement-intensive industries in the United States.
By the Numbers
7.4
Avg Violations / Facility
$125M
Lockout/Tagout Penalties
$38.06M
Largest Single Penalty
Top 10 Most Cited Standards in Manufacturing

These are the OSHA standards most frequently violated across all manufacturing inspections, ranked by citation count. Note that Machine Guarding (1910.212) ranks 4th in citations but 2nd in total penalties — reflecting the severity of consequences.

70,299
$125M
69,369
$26M
51,915
$23M
51,148
$114M ⚠
41,367
$21M
37,721
$36M
30,706
$22M
26,669
$24M
20,752
$17M
20,347
$10M
Citation Count
Bar width = total citations
High Penalty Outlier
Machine Guarding: 4th cited, 2nd in fines
Most Penalized Manufacturing Companies

The top 10 manufacturing facilities with the highest cumulative OSHA penalties. BP Products North America's Texas City refinery is a significant outlier following the 2005 explosion that killed 15 workers.

# Company Violations Penalties
1 BP Products North AmericaOutlier
Texas City, TX · Petroleum Refining
1,215 $38,060,000
2 CITGO Petroleum LCMC
Sulphur, LA · Petroleum Refining
437 $5,920,000
3 Imperial Sugar Company
Port Wentworth, GA · Sugar Refining
158 $4,060,000
4 Miracapo Pizza Company
Gurnee, IL · Food Manufacturing
32 $3,100,000
5 MDLG Inc
Phenix City, AL · Manufacturing
51 $2,690,000
6 Joon LLC
Cusseta, AL · Manufacturing
55 $2,550,000
7 BP Products North America
Oregon, OH · Petroleum Refining
39 $2,420,000
8 Tesoro Petroleum
Anacortes, WA · Petroleum Refining
45 $2,390,000
9 Didion Milling
Cambria, WI · Grain Milling
62 $2,190,000
10 Imperial Sugar Company
Gramercy, LA · Sugar Refining
112 $2,000,000
State-by-State Manufacturing Enforcement

Total OSHA penalties assessed against manufacturing facilities, ranked by state. Texas and California lead due to large petrochemical and food processing sectors.

# State Total Penalties Penalty Bar
1 Texas $122,000,000
2 California $114,000,000
3 Ohio $93,000,000
4 Illinois $64,000,000
5 Pennsylvania $56,000,000
6 Wisconsin $52,000,000
7 Georgia $48,000,000
8 New York $46,000,000
9 Michigan $42,000,000
10 New Jersey $34,000,000
11 Alabama $34,000,000
12 North Carolina $30,000,000
13 Florida $29,000,000
14 Missouri $26,000,000
15 Virginia $26,000,000
Why Manufacturing Penalties Exceed Other Industries

Heavy Equipment & Machinery

  • Complex lockout/tagout requirements for multi-energy machines
  • Machine guarding violations carry the highest individual fines — $114M total
  • Mechanical power transmission apparatus requires constant maintenance
  • Powered industrial trucks (forklifts) create ongoing exposure risk

Chemical & Respiratory Hazards

  • Hazard Communication (HazCom) is the 2nd most cited standard: 69,369 citations
  • Respiratory protection programs require medical evaluations, fit testing, and training
  • Process Safety Management (PSM) for facilities handling highly hazardous chemicals
  • Dust explosions (sugar, grain, metal) have caused catastrophic incidents

Electrical & Energy Hazards

  • Electrical wiring methods (1910.305) and general electrical (1910.303) combine for $43M in penalties
  • High-voltage equipment in manufacturing environments increases arc flash risk
  • Multiple energy sources per machine compound lockout/tagout complexity

Cumulative Violation Effect

  • Manufacturing averages 7.4 violations per facility — the highest of any sector
  • Single inspections often uncover LOTO, machine guarding, electrical, AND PPE violations
  • Repeat violations trigger penalty multipliers up to 10× the base amount
Key Compliance Areas for Manufacturing

🔒 Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) — 1910.147

The #1 cited standard in manufacturing with 70,299 citations and $125 million in penalties. LOTO requires employers to establish energy control procedures for servicing and maintaining machines and equipment. Violations typically involve: missing written energy control procedures, inadequate employee training, failure to use lockout/tagout devices during servicing, and lack of periodic inspections. Manufacturing facilities with multiple energy sources (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, thermal) face the most complex compliance requirements.

⚙️ Machine Guarding — 1910.212

Despite ranking 4th in total citations (51,148), machine guarding violations generate the 2nd highest penalties at $114 million — reflecting the severity of injuries caused by unguarded machines. Common violations include unguarded points of operation on power presses, missing barrier guards on cutting machines, and inadequate protection around rotating parts. The penalty per violation for machine guarding is among the highest of all standards.

⚠️ Hazard Communication — 1910.1200

The 2nd most cited standard with 69,369 citations. HazCom requires manufacturers to maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals, label containers properly, and train employees on chemical hazards. The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) update increased enforcement scrutiny on label formatting and SDS accessibility. Manufacturing facilities using solvents, adhesives, paints, or processing chemicals are particularly vulnerable.

😷 Respiratory Protection — 1910.134

With 51,915 citations, respiratory protection is the 3rd most cited standard. Manufacturing operations generating dust, fumes, mists, or vapors must implement comprehensive respiratory protection programs including: medical evaluations, fit testing, proper respirator selection, and training. Industries such as metal fabrication, chemical processing, and woodworking face the highest citation rates.

Related Guides & Resources
Guide

Top 10 Most Common OSHA Violations

The most cited standards across all industries and how they compare to manufacturing-specific data.

Guide

OSHA Fines & Penalties Explained

How OSHA calculates penalties, severity adjustments, and why manufacturing fines are typically higher.

Tool

OSHA Violation Lookup

Search any facility's full OSHA enforcement history — violations, penalties, and inspection details.

Search Manufacturing Facility Records

Look up any manufacturing company's OSHA inspection history, violations, penalties, and risk score from our database of 2.3 million facilities.

Search Facilities
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common OSHA violations in manufacturing?
The top OSHA violations in manufacturing are: Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) with 70,299 citations, Hazard Communication (1910.1200) with 69,369 citations, Respiratory Protection (1910.134) with 51,915 citations, Machine Guarding (1910.212) with 51,148 citations, and Electrical Wiring Methods (1910.305) with 41,367 citations. These five standards alone account for over 284,000 citations — nearly a quarter of all manufacturing violations.
How much do OSHA fines cost manufacturing companies?
Manufacturing facilities face an average penalty of $7,403 per facility — 2× higher than the construction industry average. Total manufacturing penalties exceed $1.18 billion across 159,458 inspected facilities. BP Products North America holds the single highest penalty at $38.06 million following the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion. As of 2024, OSHA maximum penalties are $16,131 per serious violation and $161,323 per willful or repeat violation. Learn more in our OSHA Fines & Penalties guide.
Why are manufacturing OSHA penalties higher than construction?
Manufacturing penalties average 2× higher than construction due to several factors: heavier and more complex machinery requiring lockout/tagout procedures, chemical exposure risks requiring respiratory protection and hazard communication programs, machine guarding violations that carry extremely high penalties ($114M total), and the cumulative effect of multiple violation types per facility (7.4 average vs. 3.1 in construction). A single manufacturing inspection often uncovers LOTO, machine guarding, electrical, and PPE violations simultaneously, compounding penalties.
Which states have the most manufacturing OSHA penalties?
Texas leads with $122M in manufacturing penalties, followed by California ($114M), Ohio ($93M), Illinois ($64M), Pennsylvania ($56M), Wisconsin ($52M), Georgia ($48M), New York ($46M), Michigan ($42M), and New Jersey ($34M). These states have high concentrations of manufacturing facilities and active OSHA enforcement programs. Texas and California's dominance is partly driven by large petrochemical and food processing operations.
What is lockout/tagout and why is it the #1 manufacturing violation?
Lockout/tagout (LOTO), covered under OSHA standard 1910.147, requires employers to disable machinery and equipment during maintenance to prevent unexpected energization. It is the #1 cited standard in manufacturing with 70,299 citations and $125 million in penalties. LOTO violations are common because manufacturing facilities have extensive machinery requiring complex energy isolation procedures across electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and thermal energy sources. Failures can result in amputations, crush injuries, or fatalities.
What is OSHA standard 1910.212 for machine guarding?
OSHA standard 1910.212 requires manufacturers to guard machines with moving parts that could cause injury. Despite ranking 4th in citation count (51,148 citations), machine guarding ranks 2nd in total penalties at $114 million — reflecting the severity of injuries when guards are missing. Common violations include unguarded points of operation, missing barrier guards on power presses, and inadequate protection on rotating parts. See our Top 10 OSHA Violations guide for more details.
How can I look up a specific manufacturing facility's OSHA record?
You can search for any manufacturing facility's OSHA enforcement history on SVEP Navigator's homepage. Enter the company name, city, or state to find detailed inspection records, violation histories, penalty amounts, and risk scores for over 2.3 million facilities in our database. You can also browse by state or look up specific violation standards to see which companies have been cited.
Data sources: U.S. Department of Labor — OSHA Public Enforcement Records · All penalty and violation data is cumulative across available inspection history.
Last updated: July 2026
Note: Penalty amounts reflect assessed penalties and may differ from final amounts after settlements or informal conferences. Manufacturing industry classification is based on NAICS codes 31-33.