New Higher Fines for OSHA Violations in Effect for 2024

Safety
Published
Contact: Brad Mannion
[email protected]
Director, Labor, Health & Safety
(202) 266-8265

Violations of safety rules on jobsites are now more expensive as the Labor Department announced its annual cost-of-living adjustments to OSHA civil penalties for 2024. The new penalty amounts went into effect Monday, Jan. 15.

OSHA’s maximum penalties for violations will increase from $15,625 per violation to $16,131 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $156,259 per violation to $161,323 per violation.

The increases represent an annual increase of around 3.2% from 2023 to 2024, a far cry from the 7.7% increase OSHA announced in penalty increases from 2022 to 2023. The penalty increases are tied to the annual cost-of-living increases across the federal government and to inflation.

Visit the OSHA Penalties page and read the final rule for more information.

The safety of residential construction workers is a top priority of NAHB and should be the top priority of every builder, remodeler and contractor. The most common types of construction site injuries are fall injuries. This aligns with OSHA’s most-cited violations on jobsites.

Top OSHA violations for fiscal year 2023:

  1. Fall Protection – General Requirements: 7,271 violations
  2. Hazard Communication (Chemicals): 3,213
  3. Ladders: 2,978
  4. Scaffolding: 2,859
  5. Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,561
  6. Lockout/Tagout: 2,554
  7. Respiratory Protection: 2,481
  8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 2,112
  9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection: 2,074
  10. Machine Guarding: 1,644

Protect your workers and your bottom line with free safety resources from NAHB.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

IBS | Leading Suppliers Council | Design

Jun 20, 2025

The New American Home 2026: Innovation Meets Impact

The New American Home 2026, the official show home of the 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show® in Orlando, is already drawing industry buzz for its distinctive design and rare structural features.

Remodeling | Publications

Jun 19, 2025

Award-Winning Advice: Surround Yourself With Good People

In the latest edition of Pro Remodeler, 2024 Remodeler of the Year Mike Pressgrove shares advice from his career.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jun 20, 2025

Single-family Construction Loan Volume Grows

Credit conditions for builders and developers eased in the first quarter of 2025 as the level of outstanding 1-4 family residential construction loans rose for the first time in two years, according to data released by FDIC.

Economics

Jun 18, 2025

The Fed Pause Continues

Reflecting most forecasters’ expectations for the June FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve continued its post-2024 pause for federal funds rate cuts, retaining a target rate of 4.5% to 4.25%.

Economics

Jun 18, 2025

Sharp Drop in Multifamily Production Brings Overall Housing Starts Down

A sharp decline in multifamily production pushed overall housing starts down in May, while single-family output was essentially flat due to economic and tariff uncertainty along with elevated interest rates.