Effective as of January 2, 2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has raised its fines in order to more accurately reflect inflation.

The increased fines are in accordance with the Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, which requires the department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15, of each year.

The new 2018 maximum penalties are as follows:
• Other-than-Serious: $12,934
• Serious: $12,934
• Repeat: $129,336
• Willful: $129,336

This increase applies to states operating under the federal OSHA regulations; however, OSHA expects that states operating under their own occupational safety and health administrations will align their penalties with the federal maximum in order to ensure they are equally as effective. There are currently 22 states that have their own OSHA approved state plan with coverage for private, state and governmental employees.