OSHA has inspected John Deere 4 times in Iowa since 2015.
The latest one began on Jul 21, 2020 on a referral, in Waterloo.
Those inspections ended with 5 citation items: 3 serious and 2 other-than-serious.
Penalties were first proposed at $11,704 and now stand at $10,892, 7% lower after settlements or reviews.
Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks comes up most often in these citations: 2 items under 1910.178.
How that compares: the median penalty per cited inspection for manufacturing employers since 2015 is $3,600, and John Deere averages $3,630 (3 cited inspections).
John Deere also files yearly injury logs with OSHA, summarized below.
Inspection 344847587 OPENED JUL 21, 2020Closed
Referral · Partial · Safety · 1,250 employees at the site · Closed Nov 13, 2020
3500 E Donald St Po Box 270, Waterloo, IA 50703 · Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing · OSHA's record · Phone and website on Google Maps
Incident on Jul 18, 2020: Employees amputates fingertip between sling and chassis
On July 18, 2020, an employee and a coworker were preparing to move a chassis with the aid of a Wright hoist and 4 slings (2 chain slings, 2 nylon slings). The coworker was in charge of hoist controls and placing slings on the chassis and the employee assisted with sling placement. The coworker had finished placing a nylon sling on the front portion of the chassis while the employee was working on placing a 2nd chain sling on the back portion. With no direct line of sight of the employee, the coworker began the lifting process and caught the employee's right pinky finger between the chain sling and the chassis. The employee sustained a fingertip amputation and was hospitalized.
| Citation and rule | Type | Proposed | Current | Issued | Status |
|---|
| Citation 1, item 1 |
Other-than-serious | $7,104 | $7,104 | Sep 30, 2020 | Final |
Inspection 342217957 OPENED MAR 14, 2017Closed
Referral · Partial · Safety · 2,000 employees at the site · Closed Aug 7, 2017
3500 E Donald St Po Box 270, Waterloo, IA 50703 · Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing · OSHA's record · Phone and website on Google Maps
Incident on Feb 17, 2017: Employee finger is amputated while reorienting a link ball w
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on February 17, 2017, an employee was operating a hoist while integrating a draft link to a tractor. The employee's fingers were caught in a pinch point while attempting to reorient a link ball without securing suspended load. The employees left ring finger was amputated and the left middle finger was lacerated. The employee was hospitalized and the left ring finger was reattached.
| Citation and rule | Type | Proposed | Current | Issued | Status |
|---|
| Citation 1, item 1 29 CFR 88.4 - CODE OF IOWA (2017) |
Serious | $2,975 | $2,975 | Jun 15, 2017 | Final |
Inspection 340177898 OPENED JAN 12, 2015Closed
Complaint · Partial · Safety · 2,000 employees at the site · Closed Jan 20, 2015
3500 E Donald Street, Waterloo, IA 50704 · Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing · OSHA's record · Phone and website on Google Maps
No citations from this inspection.
From the Form 300A summaries employers file with OSHA each year. Rate = recordable cases per 100 full-time workers.
In 2025, the Waterloo site logged 16 recordable injuries or illnesses among about 848 workers: 1.9 per 100 full-time workers, against a median of 2.7 for its industry. Those cases cost 567 days away from work.
Current text from the Code of Federal Regulations. Some citations were issued under older wording.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement data. A citation is OSHA's allegation; employers can contest it, and the status column shows where each item stands. Something wrong on this page? Tell us.
