Lately, the typical first-time OSHA citations at companies I've worked with have ranged from $1775 to $4900 per issue, averaging around $3000 each. The maximum OSHA can charge for citations will increase by 78 percent on August 1, 2016. OSHA has not yet released guidance to their field staff on how to implement this change. At this point we can only wonder whether typical penalties will remain similar or will increase. "If average citation amounts are raised by 78 percent, we should expect to see typical citations increase from $3000 each to around $5300 each".
Bottom Line: Let's be diligent in moving our safety programs forward. It's not (more…)