Last month (during the shutdown) OSHA, one of the agencies that didn’t get furloughed, published a final rule raising the maximum penalties once again. Back in 2016, the budget reconciliation act increased the maximum fines OSHA could levy. The fines at that point hadn’t been updated in 10 years and the change in 2016 more than doubled the max fines for Other than Serious, Serious, Willful and Repeated violations.

That same bill also directed OSHA to modify their fines annually to allow for inflation. Late last month, OSHA increased the maximum penalties for all levels of violations in response to that act. Today (as of Jan 24, 2019) the maximum penalty for a Other than Serious or Serious violation is $13,260. The maximum for Willful or Repeated violations is $132,589.

We’ve already seen some of this take effect where a gin that had a reportable injury was about 24hrs late and had a proposed fine of $6,600. It is important that you report injuries in the timeframe that OSHA has set out. If you have questions please let us know.

DF