The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that the administrative penalties for workplace safety violations are increasing.
Employers who are not in compliance with safety laws will be paying more in fines starting tomorrow, January 15.
The change comes as the Department of Labor is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Improvements Act of 2015 requires them to annually evaluate the penalties and make adjustments for inflation no later than January 15 of each new year.
This year, Nevada OSHA's penalties are increasing by 2.59%. According to OSHA, the new fines for penalties are:
- For willful violations, where Nevada OSHA demonstrates that an employer knowingly failed to comply with an OSHA standard, or demonstrated a plain indifference for employee safety, the maximum penalty increases from $161,323 to $165,514.
- For repeated violations, maximum penalties will increase from $161,323 to $165,514.
- Penalties for serious violations, where workplace hazards that could cause an injury or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm, the maximum penalty increases from $16,131 to $16,550.
- For each other-than-serious violation, the maximum penalty increases from $16,131 to $16,550.
- For failure to abate violations, in instances where employers were previously cited and failed to correct violations, the maximum penalty increases from $16,131 to $16,550 per day unabated beyond the abatement date (generally limited to 30 days maximum).
- For each posting requirement violation, the maximum penalty increases from $16,131 to $16,550.
Fore more information about Nevada OSHA, you can check out their website.
The Nevada Department of Business & Industry contributed to this report.
