OSHA’s civil penalties for violations of workplace safety and health standards increased to adjust for inflation. New penalties for willful and repeat violations are now $132,598 per violation; serious, other-than-serious, and posting requirements are $13,260 per violation; and failure to abate violations are $13,260 per day beyond the abatement date.
These penalty amounts will continue to increase each year, by law. Employers who want to stay in OSHA’s good graces should remember that their Form 300A annual summaries need to be signed and posted in a conspicuous place until April 30, 2019.
In their FY 2019 budget, OSHA obtained funding to hire additional investigators, who will likely be targeting employers that have higher than industry average injury rates. Based on these increased penalties, employers should assess their safety programs to reduce the risk of unannounced inspections, penalties and possibly significant exposure.
