OSHA Penalties Increase for 2024

Effective January 15, 2024, OSHA may assess larger civil penalties for violations of workplace safety regulations. OSHA “adjusts” penalties annually to keep pace with inflation, raising the maximum civil penalty amounts that the Agency can assess to employers who violate safety rules.

New 2024 OSHA Penalty Maximums

Penalties assessed for OSHA violations vary in dollar amount based on the severity of the violation. 

• The maximum civil penalty for a willful or repeat violation by an employer increased to $161,323. OSHA also boosted the minimum price tag for a willful violation by ~$400.

• For other violations—those labeled serious, other-than-serious,“failure to abate,” or "failure to post," the maximum civil penalty increased to $16,131. 

The inflation-adjusted penalty amounts apply to employer violations that occur after March 23, 2018 and for which OSHA assesses a penalty after January 15, 2024.

OSHA does not normally issue citations to employers for "de minimis" violations—which are violations that have no direct or immediate impact on safety and health. Examples of a de minimis violation of OSHA standards might include slight recordkeeping variations or minor inspection irregularities.

OSHA's penalty increase for 2024 follows a year in which one US state filed legal action challenging the agency's authority to require that states with approved State Plans increase maximum civil penalty values regularly. States with OSHA State Plans must oversee a workplace safety program that is "at least as stringent" as the national standards. 

Tags: osha, OSHA penalties, workplace safety