Fines/Penalties

Topping the list for the 10th successive year is Fall Protection – General Requirements. Also: The Top 10 “willful” and “serious” violations, a list of the year’s highest penalties, and a Q&A with OSHA’s Patrick Kapust.

Washington — OSHA received 15% more complaints during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic than it did during the same period in 2019 – but conducted 50% fewer inspections, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit report released March 2.

Itasca, IL — Fall Protection – General Requirements is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 10th successive fiscal year, the agency announced Feb. 26 during an exclusive Safety+Health webinar.

Washington — The Department of Labor has increased civil penalty amounts for violations to adjust for inflation, effective Jan. 15.

Washington — The Department of Labor has published a final rule intended to help its agencies, including OSHA, improve their collection efforts for citation penalties and other debts.

Washington — OSHA has published an overview of its most common COVID-19-related citations – and a reminder of employer requirements.

Washington — The Department of Labor is advising OSHA and other enforcement agencies not to publish press releases – “absent extraordinary circumstances” – about fines and penalties levied against employers for worker safety and health violations “before achieving a successful outcome,” according to a DOL guidance memo obtained by The New York Times.

Washington — Two dozen Democratic senators have taken issue with the dollar amounts OSHA has chosen to levy against employers in its individual COVID-19-related fines.

Washington — “Good-faith efforts” by employers to comply with worker safety regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken into “strong consideration,” OSHA states in an April 16 memo to area offices and inspectors.

Washington — The Department of Labor has increased civil penalty amounts for violations to adjust for inflation, effective Jan. 15.