OSHA Hikes Civil Penalties for 2022

OSHA civil penalties have increased for 2022, applying to any penalties assessed after Jan. 15, 2022. 

The U.S. Department of Labor said the increase comes based on cost-of-living adjustments. 

OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $13,653 per violation to $14,502 per violation. 

The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations increased by more than $8,000 to $145,027 per violation. 

Adjustment Rules 

Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act in 2015 to make civil monetary penalties more effective and maintain a deterring effect. 

Under the Act, agencies are required to publish rules that adjust the level of civil monetary penalties, and make annual adjustments for inflation annually by Jan. 15. 

States with their own Occupational Safety and Health Plans are required to adopt maximum penalty levels that are at least as effective as federal OSHA penalties. 

Connecticut, however, does not have its own Occupational Safety and Health Plan.