OSHA Increases in Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties
Monday, February 14, 2022 Amanda Coniglio
OSHA Increases in Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties
In mid-January, OSHA released its updated annual OSHA Safety Violations maximum penalties for 2022. The new monetary penalties will be nearly 5% higher than the previous maximum penalty amounts. The increase marks the largest annual percentage increase since 2016 when the Federal Penalties Inflation Act Improvements Act of 2015 mandated all Federal Agencies to update their Consumer Price Index (CPI) stagnant penalties.
It is important for employers to be aware of the most current penalties and understand the importance of addressing and correcting hazards before a citation. Also, of importance is understanding that typically an employer will receive multiple violations in one OSHA Citation and Notification of Penalty, increasing the cost to the company.
Table 1: Maximum and Minimum Amounts for Civil Penalties
| Type of Violation | Penalty Minimum | Penalty Maximum |
| Serious | $1,036 per violation | $14,502 per violation |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 per violation | $14,502 per violation |
| Willful or Repeated | $10,360* per violation | $14,502 per violation |
| Posting Requirements | $0 per violation | $14,502 per violation |
| Failure to Abate | NA | $14,502 per day unabated beyond the abatement day [generally limited to 30 days maximum] |
.jpg)