Fines/Penalties

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.

Washington – While expressing concern about OSHA’s enforcement philosophy during a Feb. 11 hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) offered an anecdote about his family.

Safety+Health presents OSHA’s most frequently cited violations for fiscal year 2015. Also: the annual “penalty box” detailing the year’s largest fines, and an exclusive interview with an official from OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement on the agency’s new reporting requirement and what a new weighted inspection system means for employers.

Washington – OSHA fines will increase for the first time in a quarter century, under a provision in the recently signed congressional budget deal.

Washington – A recent study linking inspection-related citations and penalties to increased workplace safety and fewer injuries “confirms what we have been saying for a long time,” OSHA administrator David Michaels said in the Nov. 2 edition of “OSHA QuickTakes” newsletter.

Lansing, MI – Michigan OSHA is set to launch a new informal settlement process in November.

Washington – OSHA’s rulemaking process, interpretive guidance and policy memos may be evaluated this year by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Washington – A new webpage from OSHA highlights recent fines levied against employers for safety and health violations.