FOM

How OSHA Actually Prices a Violation: The Gravity-Based Penalty, Decoded

OSHA does not pick a fine off the top of the $16,550 cap. It runs a two-stage formula: a Gravity-Based Penalty set by severity × probability, then a cascade of reductions for size, good faith, and history. Here is the actual 2026 matrix and how a $16,550 base becomes a much smaller check.