OSHA increases penalties for safety violations

OSHA increases penalties for safety violations

OSHA has announced a new Severe Violator Enforcement Program and higher civil penalties for repeat offenders. The changes are the result of a year-long OSHA study that found current penalties are too low to have an adequate deterrent effect, according to the OSHA announcement.

The new Severe Violator Enforcement Program is aimed at employers who endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities. The program calls for increased OSHA inspections at such worksites, including mandatory OSHA follow-up inspections and inspections of other worksites of the same employer where similar hazards and deficiencies may be present. The new policies become effective in the next 45 days.

The current maximum penalty for a serious violation, one capable of causing death or serious physical harm, is $7,000 and the maximum penalty for a willful violation is $70,000. Under the Severe Violator Enforcement Program those penalties rise to $12,000 and $250,000 and will be adjusted for inflation as well. For more information on the penalty policy, visit http://www.osha.gov.