OSHA Raises Penalties for Workplace Safety Violations By Almost 2 Percent

OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) have raised its penalties for 2020 by approximately 1.8 percent.

The violations that will receive these increases include:

• For a wilful violation, in which an employer knowingly failed to comply with an OSHA standard or demonstrated a plain indifference for employee safety, the minimum penalty increases from $9,472 to $9,639 and the maximum penalty increases from $132,598 to $134,937.

• For each serious violation for workplace hazards that could cause an accident or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm, the maximum penalty increases from $13,260 to $13,494.

• For each repeated violation for an identical or substantially similar violation previously cited by the agency, the penalty ceiling rises from $132,598 to $134,937

• For each other-than-serious violation, the maximum penalty increases from $13,260 to $13,494.

• For each posting requirement violation and for each failure to correct violation, both have the maximum penalty increase from $13,260 to $13,494.

These new penalties increase take effect immediately.