OSHA Penalties for Health and Safety Violations Increased

Posted on 1/14/2022 by Roger Marks

Effective January 14, 2022, OSHA has increased civil penalties for workplace health and safety violations to keep pace with inflation.

A maximum civil penalty of $14,502 applies to serious violations, non-serious violations, failure to correct violations, and failure to post required information for employees.
For a willful or repeated violation of OSHA workplace safety standards, the maximum civil penalty is now $145,027. The minimum penalty increased to $10,360.

OSHA assigns different penalty amounts to violations of different kinds. Below are the adjusted civil penalties for violations occurring after November 2, 2015 for which OSHA assesses penalties after January 14, 2022.

Type of OSHA violation	Min. Penalty	Max Penalty	29 CFR 1903.15...
Willful violation	$10,360	$145,027	(d)(1)
Repeat violation	NA	$145,027	(d)(2)
Serious violation	NA	$14,502	(d)(3)
Other than serious violation	NA	$14,502	(d)(4)
Failure to abate	NA	$14,502	(d)(5)
OSHA posting requirement	NA	$14,502	(d)(6)

Typically, OSHA does not issue citations for de minimis violations. A de minimis violation is one that has no direct or immediate impact on safety and health. Minor recordkeeping variations and minor inspection irregularities are potential examples of de minimis violations.

OSHA Penalties for Health and Safety Violations Increased

The 10 Most-Cited OSHA Standards

OSHA released its latest Top 10 list in October 2021. For general industry workplaces, the most commonly cited health and safety Standards last year included hazard communication, machine guarding, forklift safety, lockout/tagout, and respiratory protection.

Read more: Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2021

Online Safety Training to Avoid Violations

Check out Lion.com/OSHA to find safety training to inform and protect your workforce. From 10-hour training for general industry workers to HazCom, HAZWOPER, and more, Lion offers online safety training that is informative and easy-to-use.

Hazard Communication
Respiratory Protection
Forklift Safety
Lockout/Tagout

View more online safety training options at Lion.com/OSHA.

Tags: fines and penalties, osha, safety training, workplace safety

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