Observers See ‘Big’ Impact From Congress’ Proposed OSHA Penalty Hike

Stakeholders on all sides say Democrats’ proposal to raise the OSH Act’s cap on penalties to $700,000 per violation would reshape OSHA enforcement, with labor and safety groups praising the bill as a much-needed boost to deterrence while employers’ attorneys are predicting a “big” increase in legal challenges to individual fines. “The primary objective of OSHA fines is to encourage employers who have not yet been inspected to eliminate hazards before OSHA inspects and before workers get hurt,” David Michaels,...