Serious
Citation #01001A296-840-105(2)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
OSHA Inspection
Wa317969346 - Ritchie Bros Auctioneers Inc — OSHA Inspection #346047178
CHEHALIS, Washington · NAICS 561990 · 8 workers on site
Inspection outcome
Opened: June 27, 2022 · Closed: February 24, 2023
◆
Major citations
OSHA issued serious-tier citations with significant penalties.
Health inspection · Complaint · Partial — limited to specific operations or areas
Violations24
Serious+21
Initial penalty$36,000
Current penalty$36,000
Accidents0
Duration242d
Summary
What happened in this inspection
On June 27, 2022, OSHA opened Wa317969346 - Ritchie Bros Auctioneers Inc’s inspection #346047178 at CHEHALIS, Washington. The case was administratively closed on February 24, 2023, 242 days after opening.
OSHA cited the employer for 24 violations totaling $36,000 in current penalties. Of those, 21 were classified as Serious or worse.
Breakdown by classification
24violations total
Serious2188%
A Serious violation is one where there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew (or should have known) of the hazard. Maximum penalty is ~$16,550 per violation. The majority of OSHA citations fall into this category.
Other-than-serious313%
An Other-than-serious violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. Maximum penalty is ~$16,550 per violation. Often involves recordkeeping or procedural lapses.
Citations
Citations issued in this inspection
Serious
Citation #01001B296-841-20005(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Serious
Citation #01001C296-62-07521(5)(B)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Serious
Citation #01002296-817-20005(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01003296-840-140(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01004296-840-150(3)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01005A296-840-120(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01005B296-818-20005(2)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Serious
Citation #01005C296-841-20010(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Serious
Citation #01006296-840-145(1)(B)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01007296-62-07521(13)(A)(I)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01008A296-840-135(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01008B296-62-07521(9)(B)(II)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Serious
Citation #01009296-817-20010General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01010296-817-20020(2)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01011296-817-20035(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01012296-842-17010(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01013296-842-17005(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Serious
Citation #01014296-800-16050General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01015296-24-37009(2)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$2,700
→
Current$2,700
Serious
Citation #01016296-62-07521(9)(A)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$1,800
→
Current$1,800
Other
Citation #02001296-842-10505General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Other
Citation #02002296-842-12005(1)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Other
Citation #02003296-840-115(3)General Duty Clause or unstructured citationInitial$0
→
Current$0
Standard codes link to the regulation text on OSHA.gov. The text describes the rule itself; the specific findings of this inspection appear above. To see OSHA’s official record of this inspection, search activity number 346047178 at OSHA Establishment Search.
Reference
About OSHA inspections
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducts inspections under several triggers: programmed targeting of high-hazard industries, employee complaints, workplace accidents, fatalities, and follow-ups to prior citations.
Citations
Each citation specifies a section of 29 CFR, a severity tier, and a proposed penalty. Employers can contest citations through OSHA’s informal conference or before the OSH Review Commission.
Open vs closed
An open case has not yet been administratively closed — citations may follow or the case may close without action.
Current vs initial penalty
Initial penalty is the proposed amount at citation. Current penalty is the post-conference / settlement figure on file today.
Trigger types
A = Accident, B = Complaint, H = Programmed, F = Follow-up. See the glossary for all codes.
About this inspection
OSHA classified this as Complaint — an inspection triggered by a worker complaint.
Sources
Cross-check with OSHA directly
This page draws from the OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) via the DOL Open Data Portal. For the authoritative record, look up activity number 346047178 directly:
From the blog
Understand OSHA enforcement
Guides and analysis from our editorial team.
Data report
Industries With the Most OSHA Violations on Record (2026)
NAICS industries ranked by total OSHA citations and total inspections in the current enforcement window. Construction and specialty trades dominate both leaderboards.
Data report
The 15 U.S. Cities With the Most OSHA Inspections (2026)
A city-by-city ranking of U.S. metros with the highest OSHA inspection counts in the current enforcement window — what the city-level data reveals about regional safety enforcement.
Data report
OSHA Enforcement in 2026, By the Numbers: 426,000 Employers on Record
An overview of OSHA enforcement activity across 426,760 U.S. employers — 575,985 inspections, 24,000 violations, and $62,581,468 in penalties currently on file.
Data report
Seattle vs. Portland: OSHA Enforcement in Two Pacific Northwest Cities Compared
A side-by-side comparison of OSHA enforcement activity in Seattle and Portland — inspection counts, violations, penalties, and what the data reveals about workplace safety in each city.
Data report
The 10 U.S. Employers With the Largest OSHA Penalties on Record (2026)
A ranked list of the ten U.S. employers carrying the highest cumulative OSHA penalty assessments in the current enforcement window, with links to their full inspection histories.
Data report
The 10 Most-Inspected U.S. Employers in OSHA Records (2026)
Ten U.S. employers with the highest OSHA inspection counts across the current five-year enforcement window, ranked with links to each company's full record.
Data report
Top 10 Alabama Employers by OSHA Inspections (2026)
The ten Alabama employers with the most OSHA inspections on record in the current enforcement window — with violation counts, penalty totals, and links to each full inspection record.
Data report
Top 10 Alaska Employers by OSHA Inspections (2026)
The ten Alaska employers with the most OSHA inspections on record in the current enforcement window — with violation counts, penalty totals, and links to each full inspection record.
Data report
Top 10 Arizona Employers by OSHA Inspections (2026)
The ten Arizona employers with the most OSHA inspections on record in the current enforcement window — with violation counts, penalty totals, and links to each full inspection record.