In November 2015, a bill was signed that requires federal agencies, including OSHA, to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. It also permits OSHA to adjust its penalties for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
On January 2, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Federal Register notice announcing an increase in the maximum penalty amounts, which are outlined below.
Type of Violation and Penalty
Serious and Other-Than-Serious: $12,934 per violation
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Failure to Abate: $12,934 per day beyond the abatement date
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Willful or Repeated: $129,336 per violation
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States that operate their own Occupational Safety and Health Plans are required to adopt maximum penalty levels that are at least as effective as Federal OSHA’s.
To learn more about this, check out the Federal Register notice. It contains background information about the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and the Adjustment for 2018.
Resources to Help You
This blog, originally posted February 20, 2017, has been updated with additional sources and information.