If you weren’t already concerned about the rate of inflation, its effect has produced another blow in the OSHA world. Under the terms of the 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act, the U.S. Department of Labor has once again made the mandatory annual adjustment to the penalty amounts for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, among other statutes. The penalties will be increased by the 6.2 percent inflation rate for 2021.
The new OSHA penalty amounts for 2022 are as follows:
Serious and Other Than Serious Violations
- Increased from $13,653 to $14,502
Repeat and Willful Violations
- Increased from $136,532 to $145,027
Those of you who have been unfortunate enough to have received an OSHA citation in the last few years know that OSHA routinely issues Serious Citations with the maximum penalty amount. If you needed any more incentive to ensure a compliant workplace, now you have it.
REMINDER: Employers must post their OSHA 300A annual summary forms from February 1 through April 30, 2022. Employers who must electronically file the OSHA 300A information on the agency’s website are required to do so by March 2.
