Seattle and Portland are the two largest cities in the Pacific Northwest, and both sit in states that operate their own state-plan OSHA programs — meaning their workplace safety inspectorates are more active per-capita than federal OSHA. Here's how their current enforcement records compare.
The numbers
| Metric | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR | | --- | --- | --- | | OSHA-inspected employers | 4,869 | 4,601 | | Total inspections | 4,940 | 4,733 | | Violations cited | 213 | 163 | | Proposed penalties | $233,630 | $172,532 |
What the comparison reveals
Both cities show the high inspection-to-employer ratios characteristic of state-plan jurisdictions. Workers in both metros are more likely to be covered by an active inspectorate than workers in comparable federal-OSHA cities.
The Washington state-plan (WISHA) and Oregon state-plan (Oregon OSHA) operate under similar mandates but differ in scope of coverage and emphasis programs, which produces the modest divergences you see between the two cities.
Where to look next
- The full Washington record — every WA city with OSHA-inspected employers
- The full Oregon record — same for Oregon
- Top 10 Washington employers by OSHA inspections — the most-inspected names in the state
- The 15 U.S. cities with the most OSHA inspections — broader city-level context
If you live or work in either market, our nearby search finds OSHA-inspected employers around your current location.
