Workplace safety enforcement data for 32,935 inspected facilities across Colorado.
Colorado has 32935 OSHA-inspected facilities with cumulative penalties totaling $107.7M. The state's average penalty of $3,271.13 is above the national average of $2,498.69. Federal investigators have documented 144075 total citations across Colorado, including 277 cases involving willful violations — the most severe classification under the OSH Act.
Analyst Commentary
The enforcement landscape in Colorado reflects a robust regulatory environment, with federal OSHA overseeing a significant volume of industrial activity. To date, data indicates that 32,935 facilities have undergone inspection, resulting in a substantial cumulative penalty burden of $107,734,818. When evaluating the average penalty per facility, which sits at $3,271.13, we see a figure that reflects a balanced approach to enforcement relative to the state's diverse economy. Colorado's industrial profile, characterized by a mix of high-stakes aerospace manufacturing, traditional energy extraction, and a booming residential construction sector, necessitates such rigorous oversight. This average penalty suggests that while individual fines may not always be catastrophic, the consistent pressure of federal oversight remains a constant variable for business operations across the Front Range and beyond, signaling that the cost of non-compliance is integrated into the state's operational reality.
Analyzing the 144,075 total citations issued reveals critical patterns that compliance professionals must prioritize to mitigate risk. In Colorado, the high volume of violations is likely driven by the construction and energy extraction industries, where fall protection and trenching hazards remain persistent issues. Furthermore, the state’s distinctive geographic profile—including high-altitude work environments and remote oil and gas sites—presents unique logistical challenges that often lead to lapses in safety protocols. Compliance officers should be particularly wary of systemic safety failures, as the data suggests an average of over four citations per inspected facility. This distinctive enforcement profile indicates that OSHA inspectors in this region are exceptionally thorough, often identifying multiple points of non-compliance during a single site visit, which necessitates a comprehensive rather than a checklist-based approach to safety management to avoid the compounding costs of multiple citations.