Fines/Penalties

Washington – Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has introduced legislation intended to protect employees of companies that perform work for the federal government.

Indianapolis – The preliminary list of OSHA’s Top 10 violations for Fiscal Year 2017 remained largely unchanged from FY 2016, except for one new addition: Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503) entered the list at No. 9 with 1,523 violations, just ahead of Electrical – Wiring Methods (1,405 violations).

Washington – Days after his May 10 release from federal prison after serving a one-year sentence for violating mine safety laws, former Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him not to consider legislation that would strengthen punishments for mine supervisors who knowingly flout safety rules.

Washington – The Department of Labor has published a final rule increasing civil penalty amounts for violations to adjust for inflation.

Safety+Health presents OSHA's most frequently cited violations for fiscal year 2016. Also: the annual "penalty box" detailing the year's largest fines, and an exclusive interview with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs.

Toronto – Government safety and health inspections that result in penalties for non-compliant employers encourage organizations to take action to reduce work-related injuries, according to research from the Institute for Work & Health.

Washington – The “deterrent effect” of OSHA fines takes a hit when the agency reduces penalties in cases involving willful violations and worker deaths – and OSHA too often agrees to reduce fines in exchange for an employer’s promise to quickly abate hazards, according to a report released June 30 by the Center for Progressive Reform.

Washington – The Department of Labor has announced a pair of interim final rules that allow OSHA to adjust its civil penalties to account for inflation.

The era of criminal prosecutions for violations of workplace safety laws being rare may be over, as the Departments of Justice and Labor have agreed to work closer together. Is this a new world of safety, or simply a patch for a broken system?

Washington – The House Budget Committee issued a report March 23 calling for “commonsense reforms” to OSHA enforcement that include barring the agency from issuing fines in certain situations.