New OSHA Enforcement Guidance Promises Steeper Penalties for Employers
Date postedFebruary 8, 2023
Source: Jackson Lewis
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced two enforcement guidance changes with the goal of deterring violations by substantially increasing the penalties certain employers may face for alleged violations.
OSHA released this guidance with a rhetorical flourish about employers allegedly putting “profit over safety.” The ultimate objective, as articulated in OSHA’s January 26, 2023, press release, is to “make [OSHA’s] penalties more effective.” OSHA will seek to do just that by issuing more citations (each one carrying separate penalty amounts) during a single inspection.
The enforcement guidance changes go into effect on March 27, 2023.