DOL adjusts civil penalty amounts for inflation

Washington — The Department of Labor has raised civil penalty amounts for violations around 1 percent to adjust for inflation, effective Jan. 23.

The increase is 1.02522 percent for DOL agencies, including OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to a final rule published in the Jan. 23 Federal Register.

The maximum penalty increases to $13,260 from $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)
• Posting requirements

The maximum “willful” or “repeated” fines increase to $132,598 per violation from $129,336.

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