In Alaska, a serious Confined Spaces violation carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Confined Spaces is enforced for private construction employers by Alaska Occupational Safety & Health, under 8 AAC 61.1050 rather than 29 CFR 1910.146.
29 CFR 1910.146 · Alaska
Confined Spaces Requirements in Alaska
Confined Spaces in Alaska: 2026 penalties, who enforces 8 AAC 61.1050, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
AlaskaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Alaska Occupational Safety & Health
29 CFR 1910.146 does not apply to construction work; on a jobsite the rule is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1201–1213). In Alaska, Alaska Occupational Safety & Health enforces the state's own rule on this subject, 8 AAC 61.1050. The federal maximum for a serious violation is $16,550.
$16,550
federal maximum for a serious violation
$165,514
federal maximum for a willful or repeat violation
7.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Alaska, 2024 (BLS)
What Alaska's own rule says
“Notwithstanding 29 C.F.R. 1910.146, the employer shall ensure that double block and bleed systems are not used as a means of isolation when the ambient air temperature at the point of isolation or the temperature of the product in the line at the point of isolation is at or below 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celsius).”
Alaska changes permit-space entry in two ways that matter in cold weather and on thin crews. Double block and bleed cannot be used as isolation once the ambient temperature at the isolation point, or the product temperature in the line, reaches freezing. And the federal note allowing an attendant to monitor more than one permit space is replaced outright: attendants may not be assigned to more than one space, and must be in direct and constant communication with the entrants. Alaska also defines "calibrated direct-reading instrument" for atmospheric testing, a term the federal standard leaves open.
8 AAC 61.1050The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in Alaska Occupational Safety & Health's own rule text · verified 2026-08-09
Harmful exposures and work deaths in Alaska, 2024
Alaska recorded 24 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 29 in 2023. BLS did not publish a separate 2024 count of deaths from exposure to harmful substances or environments for Alaska.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Alaska, 2024
How Alaska Enforces Confined Spaces
Alaska runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Alaska Occupational Safety & Health, which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Alaska's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 8 AAC 61.1050, which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Alaska Occupational Safety & Health issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.146 in Alaska construction in FY2025. Alaska applies the federal penalty maximums.
29 CFR 1910.146 is a general-industry standard and does not govern construction work. “This section does not apply to agriculture, to construction, or to shipyard employment”. Construction confined spaces are 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1201–1213), a separate standard with its own duties. It is not universal either: 1926.1201(b) carves out work already regulated by Subpart P (excavations), Subpart S (underground construction, caissons, cofferdams, compressed air) and Subpart Y (diving). An Alaska contractor auditing against 29 CFR 1910.146 is auditing against the wrong standard. The citation an officer writes on a construction site will name the 1926 provision, not this one.
HazComFast records the state of every jobsite and shows that the Alaska State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Alaska
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Alaska, the program is Consultation and Training (Alaska Occupational Safety and Health). OSHA describes it as “Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs.” It is separate from OSHA enforcement; the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Alaska Penalty Amounts for Confined Spaces (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Willful | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Repeat | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Failure to abate | $16,550/day | up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6) |
Alaska applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Alaska Occupational Safety & Health computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Key Confined Spaces Requirements Under the Federal Standard 29 CFR 1910.146
- Evaluate workplace for confined spaces
- Develop written permit space program
- Test atmosphere before and during entry
- Provide ventilation to control hazardous atmospheres
- Station an attendant outside each permit space
- Arrange rescue services before entry begins
- Issue entry permits for each entry
Who enforces it in Alaska: Alaska Occupational Safety & Health inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Alaska Occupational Safety & Health can add requirements beyond the federal standard above, so check its own rules as well.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1910.146 are on the 29 CFR 1910.146 page.
What a Confined Spaces Violation Looks Like
Each item below breaches a specific paragraph of 29 CFR 1910.146. It is a list of requirements, not a ranking. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- Failing to evaluate the workplace to identify permit-required confined spaces (1910.146(c)(1)).
- Entry without atmospheric testing or with an atmosphere outside the acceptable ranges (1910.146(c)(5)/(d)).
- No written permit-space program, or no signed entry permit for the entry (1910.146(c)(4)/(e)).
- No attendant stationed outside, or the attendant entering to attempt a rescue (1910.146(i)/(k)).
- No arranged rescue and emergency services before entry (1910.146(k)).
Alaska Safety & Enforcement Profile
213
FY2025 construction citations
Alaska Occupational Safety & Health
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Alaska, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (20), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (12) and Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (7), out of 88 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Fatal injury rate in Alaska, 2024: 7.1 per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries. BLS did not publish a 2024 construction rate here.
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, federal OSHA and State Plan combined, grouped by the inspected employer's 2022 NAICS industry. Industry names are the Census Bureau's 2022 NAICS titles. data.dol.gov · BLS fatality rates by state, 2024
Free Confined Spaces Compliance Tools
Confined Spaces FAQ for Alaska
Which Alaska industries most often face a Confined Spaces inspection?
Confined Spaces inspections reach general-industry employers in Alaska, not the construction trades. Alaska Occupational Safety & Health inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. A construction employer should not audit against 29 CFR 1910.146: the standard that governs the same work on a jobsite is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1201–1213).
How often is Confined Spaces cited in Alaska?
29 CFR 1910.146 is enforced against general-industry employers in Alaska, so the construction citation totals published for Alaska (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23) do not measure it. “This section does not apply to agriculture, to construction, or to shipyard employment”. Construction confined spaces are 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1201–1213), a separate standard with its own duties. It is not universal either: 1926.1201(b) carves out work already regulated by Subpart P (excavations), Subpart S (underground construction, caissons, cofferdams, compressed air) and Subpart Y (diving). A construction employer should not audit against 29 CFR 1910.146: the standard that governs the same work on a jobsite is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA (1926.1201–1213).
What makes a space a 'permit-required confined space' under 1910.146 in Alaska?
A confined space is permit-required if it has a hazardous atmosphere (or the potential for one), an engulfment hazard, an inward-converging configuration that could trap a worker, or any other recognized serious hazard. Alaska employers must test the atmosphere before and during entry, ventilate as necessary, post an attendant, and have a rescue plan, enforced by AKOSH.
Who enforces confined-space rules (1910.146) in Alaska?
AKOSH, Alaska Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, not federal OSHA. Alaska runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 1910.146 on private jobsites.
Can I get free OSHA help in Alaska without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Alaska is Consultation and Training (Alaska Occupational Safety and Health). OSHA describes it this way: "Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs." Consultations are separate from OSHA enforcement, and the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Confined Spaces Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Confined Spaces in Other States
13 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1910.146 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Arizona29 CFR 1910.146 as adopted by A.A.C. R20-5-602; construction spaces under R20-5-601California8 CCR §5157, with §5158 for spaces outside the permit programown maxHawaii29 CFR 1910.146 as incorporated by HAR §12-60-50(a), with §12-60-7Minnesota29 CFR 1910.146 as adopted by Minn. R. 5205.0010, with Minn. R. 5207.0510NevadaNRS 618.383 and NRS 618.305 (sources for standards)New Mexico29 CFR 1910.146 as incorporated by 11.5.2.9(A) NMACown maxNorth Carolina13 NCAC 07F .0207, incorporating bloodborne pathogens into construction at 29 CFR 1926.1130South Carolina29 CFR 1910.146 as adopted by Subarticle 6; competent person for excavations revised at Subarticle 7, modification Fown max
Other OSHA Standards in Alaska
Sources & verification
Penalty amounts and plan-type data were checked on 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register. This page is informational and not legal advice; consult the enforcing agency or counsel for your specific situation.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
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