Starting in August, the Department of Labor increased the maximum penalties for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Citations issued by OSHA on or after the date of August 1st, 2016 are subject to the new penalties, provided that the cited violations occurred after November 2, 2015. Additionally, OSHA penalties will adjust to inflation annually, with a cap of 150% of the existing penalty amount.
New Maximum Penalties are as follows:
Serious and Other-Than-Serious – $12, 471 per violation
Failure to Abate – $12, 471 per day beyond the abatement date
Willful or Repeated – $124, 709 per violation
These increases are part of a sweeping modernization passed in 2015, called the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. Other penalty increases will affect:
- Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
- Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
- Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OCWP)
- Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
If you have suffered from a work-related injury, contact Erwin, McCane & Daly for your free consultation today.
