Compliance Saves – OSHA Civil Penalties Increased for 2023

The U.S. Department of Labor has increased Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) civil penalty amounts for regulatory violations in accordance with allowable cost-of-living adjustments. OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations increased from $14,502 to $15,625 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations increased from $145,027 to $156,259 per violation. States with their own occupational health and safety plans are required to adopt penalty levels that are equivalent to or higher than federal OSHA penalties.

In fiscal year 2020-21, the top five most frequently cited OSHA standards were fall protection, ladders and scaffolding in construction, and respiratory protection and hazard communication in general industry. OSHA is expected to release 2021-22 citation data in April. Refer to Frequently Cited OSHA Standards to search for citations by jurisdiction and NAICS code. Refer to the OSHA Penalties page and the final rule for more information.