OSHA Adjusts Penalty Amounts for 2018

January 18, 2018

On January 2, civil penalty amounts for violations of workplace safety and health standards increased by two percent from last year.

Type of Violation Penalty
Serious
Other-Than-Serious
Posting Requirements
$12,934 per violation
Failure to Abate $12,934 per day beyond the abatement date
Willful or Repeated $129,336 per violation

In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, the Department of Labor is required to adjust penalties for inflation each year. New penalties for willful and repeat violations are $129,336 per violation; serious, other-than-serious, and posting requirements are $12,934 per violation; and failure to correct violations is $12,934 for each day the condition continues.

Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act in 2015 to advance the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. The law directs agencies to adjust their penalties for inflation each year using a much more straightforward method than previously available.

Source: OSHA