Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • July 2016 | Page 17

OSHA
Violation
Penalties Set to
Increase August 1st
Under authority of
legislation passed
last year, the Federal
Civil Penalties Inflation
Adjustment Act, OSHA
has announced an
increase in the penalties
it levies for violations of
OSHA standards. The
increases, effective
August 1, are based on
the Bureau of Labor
Statistics’ Inflation
Calculator and the fact
that the last increases
took place in 1990. A
dollar in 1990 has the
same purchasing power
as $1.84 today. The

maximum penalties
compared to 1990 levels
for willful violations
represent a 78%
increase. For example,
the scale for serious
and willful violations will
increase from $5,000 $70,000 to $8,908 - $
124,709. Increases for all
types of violations will be
published in the Federal
Register in the form of
an interim final rule from
OSHA. While OSHA will
invite public comments,
interim final rules when
published are effective
immediately on the

designated effective
date and are rarely
changed due to public
comment. A fact sheet
from the Department
of Labor explains the
increases.
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JULY 2016 • DITCHMEN

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