Regulatory News
OSHA Increases Civil Fines by 2.5% in 2025
The Department of Labor hikes OSHA civil penalty fines for the second straight year to account for inflation.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will increase fines for civil penalties issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by 2.5% based on inflation for 2025. The increases follow a 3.2% hike in civil penalty amounts initiated in 2024.
Image by Bryan Gottlieb/Roofing Contractor | image courtesy of PICRYL
The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will again increase fines for civil penalties issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by 2.5% based on inflation for 2025.
The increases follow a 3.2% hike in civil penalty amounts initiated in 2024.
Beginning this month, the maximum OSHA penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $16,131 to $16,550 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $161,323 to $165,514 per violation.
In 2015, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act to advance the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. Under the Act, agencies are required to publish “catch-up” rules that adjust the level of civil monetary penalties and make subsequent annual adjustments for inflation no later than Jan. 15 of each year.
OSHA offers a variety of options for employers looking for compliance assistance, including access to specialists in most of the offices across the country. Find additional resources about robust outreach and education programs for employers and workers at the OSHA website.
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