Search

OSHA Authorized to Raise Civil Penalties for First Time in 25 Years

Posted on 11/6/2015 by Roger Marks

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 became law this week, and in addition to setting a budget for the US government, the Act addresses civil penalties for employer violations of US Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) work safety regulations.

In Section 701 of the bill, titled Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, the new legislation sets criteria for OSHA to use to adjust civil penalty amounts to keep pace with inflation.

Initial 2016 OSHA Civil Penalty Adjustment

Because OSHA was in the past precluded by law from adjusting its civil penalty amounts, the first adjustment—to take effect no later than August 1, 2016—will be significant. Employers can expect OSHA civil penalty amounts to increase by at least 50%.

The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 required most Federal agencies to review and adjust their civil penalties once every five years. OSHA was excluded from this penalty-adjusting authority at the time. Observers of the Consumer Price Index (CPI)—a measure of inflation in the US—estimate that inflation since 1990 amounts to about 82%. OSHA penalties could rise at that rate if OSHA takes the most dramatic action allowed under the new bill.

OSHA civil penalties to rise


Subsequent OSHA Civil Penalty Adjustments

After the initial, sticker-shock adjustment, OSHA will—like other Federal agencies—review and adjust its penalty amounts to keep pace with inflation once every five years.

The full text of the new budget bill, H.R. 1314, is available at Congress.gov.

Rising Penalties Makes OSHA Training Even More Important

With the imminent rise in OSHA civil penalties, providing effective employee safety training just became that much more critical. Enroll your team in the 10 Hour OSHA General Industry Online Course, and be confident your employees can protect themselves and their colleagues at your site, and avoid the on-the-job injuries that already cost employers and estimated $1 billion per week—and are likely to cost even more in the future.

Tags: fines and penalties, osha, workplace safety

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

Lion courses always set the bar for content, reference, and practical application. Membership and access to the experts is an added bonus.

John Brown, CSP

Director of Safety & Env Affairs

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

I think LION does an excellent job of any training they do. Materials provided are very useful to my day-to-day work activities.

Pamela Embody

EHS Specialist

The instructor was very very informative, helpful, understandable and pleasant. This course answered many questions I had, being new to this industry.

Frances Mona

Shipping Manager

Attending Lion Technology classes should be mandatory for every facility that ships or stores hazmat.

Genell Drake

Outbound Lead

The instructor was energetic and made learning fun compared to dry instructors from other training providers.

Andy D’Amato

International Trade Compliance Manager

These are the best classes I attend each year. I always take something away and implement improvements at my sites.

Kim Racine

EH&S Manager

Having the tutorial buttons for additional information was extremely beneficial.

Sharon Ziemek

EHS Manager

This was the 1st instructor that has made the topic actually enjoyable and easy to follow and understand. Far better than the "other" training providers our company has attended!

Lori Hardy

Process & Resource Administrator

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Hazardous materials shipment rejections bear a big cost. Use this guide to end operational and logistical disruptions that severely impact your bottom line.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.