Again, OSHA has increased fines to make adjustments for inflation. In case you missed it, the new penalty structure is as follows:
| Violation Type | Penalty |
| Repeated | $132,598 |
| Willful | $132,598 |
| Serious | $13,260 |
| Other-Than-Serious | $13,260 |
| Posting Requirements | $13,260 |
Employers should be aware of the importance of correcting any violations as soon as possible throughout the organization and not just at the facility that drew the citation.
In February 2016, an employer failed to report the hospitalization of one of their workers at their Brandon, Florida facility. OSHA learned of the incident which they cited as an other-than-serious violation and assessed a $900 penalty. In January of the following year, the same employer failed to report hospitalization of a worker at their Andover, Massachusetts facility. This time the violation was cited as serious and the company was fined $11,000. The following month, February 2017, the same employer had another worker hospitalized, this one in Dahlgren, Georgia. The hospitalization was reported but not until nearly 30 hours following the hospitalization instead of the required 24 hours. The employer was cited with a repeat violation and fined nearly $50,000.
An employer who is cited by OSHA should correct the violation immediately, but should also, convey the problem throughout the company to enable any other locations to identify and correct the issue before they too get an OSHA visit (or an employee is injured).
If you have questions about OSHA penalties or need safety assistance contact Bill Taylor, CSP www.ei1.com or 919-459-5249