OSHA Increases Monetary Penalties for 2020

Federal agencies are required to adjust penalty amounts for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index.

January 22, 2020

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Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adjusted its civil monetary penalties to reflect inflation in 2020.

Under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvement Act of 2015, federal agencies were required to institute upfront “catch up” amounts to bring civil monetary penalties up to present day adjustments. At the time, many penalties remained at levels set in 1990.

Going forward, the new law also requires agencies to tie the penalty amounts to inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index.

Effective Jan. 15, OSHA’s maximum civil monetary penalty increases for 2020 are as follows:

Other-than-Serious: $13,494
Serious: $13,494
Repeat: $134,937
Willful: $134,937

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