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

My experience with Lion training, both online and in the classroom, is that they are far better organized and provide a better sequential explanation of the material.

Robert Roose

Manager, Dangerous Goods Transportation

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

The instructor created a great learning environment.

Avinash Thummadi

CAD & Environmental Manager

The training was impressive. I am not a fan of online training but this was put together very well. I would recommend Lion to others.

Donnie James

Quality Manager

Best instructor ever! I was going to take my DOT training w/a different provider, but based on this presentation, I will also be doing my DOT training w/Lion!

Donna Moot

Hazardous Waste Professional

I have over 26 years of environmental compliance experience, and it has been some time since I have attended an environmental regulations workshop. I attended this course as preparation for EHS Audits for my six plants, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Frank Sizemore

Director of Regulatory Affairs

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

The instructor made the class very enjoyable and catered to the needs of our group.

Sarah Baker

Planner

The course was very well structured and covered the material in a clear, concise manner.

Ian Martinez

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Given the choice, I would do all coursework this way. In-person courses go very fast without the opportunity to pause or repeat anything.

Ellen Pelton

Chemical Laboratory Manager

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Use this guide as a quick reference to the most common HAZWOPER questions, and get course recommendations for managers and personnel who are in need of OSHA-required HAZWOPER training.

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.