While no one would disagree with OSHA’s mission, which is to ensure the safety of U.S. workers through compliance with the agency’s standards, the prospect of a workplace inspection might rattle even the most safety-conscious employer’s nerves with fears of being caught on a bad day or drawing a hostile inspector.
OSHA also raised its fines more than 80% in August 2016, increasing the maximum fine for the least serious type of violation from $7,000 to $12,740 which makes the potential financial ramifications of a violation even more severe. Since then, fines have seen and will continue to see an increase in line with the Consumer Price Index each January, bringing the agency’s maximum per-violation monetary penalties as of Jan. 15, 2020 to:
