Increase in Cap on OSHA Penalties for Workplace Violations Announced by the OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
Dublin, CA (PRWEB) July 28, 2016 -- The OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, the only authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Center headquartered in Northern California, has announced the first increase in the maximum penalties for workplace violations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) since 1990. The cap adjustment for penalties levied against employers in violation of OSHA safety standards is a result of legislation enacted by Congress in November, 2015, requiring federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation.
“We hope and expect that these penalty adjustments will deter violations,” said Cari Elofson, Assistant Director of the OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. “Increasing penalties should not only provide a significant boost to worker safety but also help level the playing field between responsible employers who maintain safe work environments and those who don’t comply with OSHA safety requirements.”
OSHA’s maximum penalties will increase by 78%, raising the top penalty for serious violations from $7,000 to $12,471 per violation and the top penalty for failure to abate violations from $7,000 to $12,471 per day beyond the abatement date. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $70,000 to $124,709. Going forward, OSHA will continue to adjust its penalties for inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index. To address the impact of these penalty increases on smaller businesses, OSHA will continue to provide penalty reductions based on the size of the employer and other factors.
The new penalties will take effect on August 1, 2016. Any citations issued by OSHA on or after that date will be subject to the new penalties if the related violations occurred after November 2, 2015.
For more information, see OSHA Penalty Adjustments Fact Sheet.
About the OSHA Training Center
The OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District offers high quality Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards-based training for construction, maritime and general industry in Dublin, California, conveniently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as locations throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam. Programs offered include OSHA safety standards, Outreach Trainer courses, Cal/OSHA standards and customized on-site safety training. For more information, including a complete course schedule, visit the OSHA Training Center website or call (866) 936-OSHA (6742).
Cari Elofson, OSHA Training Center, http://osha4you.com, +1 866-936-6742, [email protected]
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