DOL boosts civil penalty amounts to adjust for inflation

Washington — The Department of Labor has published a final rule raising civil penalty amounts for violations 1 percent to adjust for inflation.

The increase will be 1.02041 percent for DOL agencies, including OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to the rule, published in the Jan. 2 Federal Register.

The maximum penalty will increase to $12,934 for the following types of OSHA violations:

• Serious
• Other than serious
• Failure to correct (assessed each day the employer does not abate the condition)
• Violation of posting requirements

The maximum penalty for “willful” and “serious” violations is now $129,336.

Under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, DOL is required to adjust civil penalty levels for inflation by Jan. 15 of each year. DOL determines annual adjustment rates via the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.