In Arkansas, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is enforced for private construction employers by federal OSHA.
29 CFR 1910.147 · Arkansas
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in Arkansas
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Arkansas: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
ArkansasGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)Federal OSHA Jurisdiction
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In Arkansas, federal OSHA enforces 29 CFR 1910.147. 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
6.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Arkansas, 2024 (BLS)
What federal OSHA is targeting in Arkansas
Arkansas has no state OSHA plan for private-sector work, so there is no state rule to read. What differs here is which hazards federal OSHA schedules inspections for, as set out in published emphasis directives.
Regional Emphasis Program for the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry
BHM-CPL-04-00-004 · Birmingham Regional Office · effective April 17, 2025
“This Instruction applies to Baton Rouge and Little Rock Area Offices.”
Upstream oil and gas work is programmed for inspection through the Baton Rouge office in Louisiana and the Little Rock office in Arkansas. Well-site work can bring hazard communication, permit-required confined spaces and hazardous energy control into the same inspection.
Regional Emphasis Program for Grain Handling Facilities
CPL 2 02-00-028C · Dallas Regional Office · effective July 1, 2024
“This Instruction applies to all worksites in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, and those worksites in New Mexico that are under Federal Jurisdiction.”
Grain handling is programmed by name in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, the four states the directive's scope lists. The grain handling standard at 1910.272 is what makes this a confined-space and energy-control matter: bin, silo and tank entry needs a permit and an attendant, and the conveyors and augers underneath have to be locked out before anyone goes in.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Arkansas, 2024
Arkansas recorded 79 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 92 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 7 of them (9%). Construction accounted for 10.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Arkansas, 2024
How Arkansas Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
Arkansas has no State Plan, so federal OSHA has jurisdiction. 29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced by U.S. Department of Labor compliance officers using standard federal procedures and the federal penalty maximums.
29 CFR 1910.147 is a general-industry standard and does not govern construction work. “This standard does not cover the following: (A) Construction and agriculture employment”. Branding a construction program “1910.147 compliant” cites the wrong standard. Unlike confined spaces, Part 1926 has no wholesale re-enactment of 1910.147: construction energy-control duties are spread across hazard-specific provisions, so no single construction equivalent is named here. An Arkansas contractor auditing against 29 CFR 1910.147 is auditing against the wrong standard. The citation an officer writes on a construction site will name the 1926 provision, not this one.
Help and oversight in Arkansas
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Arkansas, the program is Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing (OSHA Consultation Section). 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.
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Little Rock Area Office (Little Rock).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Arkansas Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.147 (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) |
Arkansas applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Federal OSHA reduces the proposed penalty for employer size, good faith and history (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch. 6). There was no inflation increase for 2026: the 2025 amounts remain in effect (OMB Memo M-26-11).
Key Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements 29 CFR 1910.147
- Develop machine-specific energy control procedures
- Train authorized, affected, and other employees
- Use standardized lockout/tagout devices
- Follow the 6-step LOTO sequence
- Conduct annual periodic inspections of procedures
- Coordinate group lockout for multi-employee servicing
Who enforces it in Arkansas: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; Arkansas has no State Plan.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1910.147 are on the 29 CFR 1910.147 page.
What a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Violation Looks Like
Each item below breaches a specific paragraph of 29 CFR 1910.147. It is a list of requirements, not a ranking. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- No documented, machine-specific energy control procedures (1910.147(c)(4)).
- Failure to conduct the required at-least-annual periodic inspection of procedures (1910.147(c)(6)).
- Authorized/affected employees not trained (or retrained after changes) (1910.147(c)(7)).
- Stored or residual energy not released or restrained before servicing (1910.147(d)(5)).
- No verification of de-energization/isolation before work begins (1910.147(d)(6)).
Arkansas Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
95 of them in Arkansas (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Arkansas, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (9), Roofing Contractors (7) and Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (5), out of 52 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Arkansas, 2024: 9.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, 18th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 6.2).
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 Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Compliance Tools
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) FAQ for Arkansas
Which Arkansas industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in Arkansas, not the construction trades. Federal OSHA inspects these employers directly, since Arkansas has no state plan covering the private sector. A construction employer is not governed by 29 CFR 1910.147, and the construction-side duties on this subject are not concentrated in a single standard. Check your Part 1926 obligations instead.
How often is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) cited in Arkansas?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in Arkansas, so the construction citation totals published for Arkansas (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23) do not measure it. “This standard does not cover the following: (A) Construction and agriculture employment”. Branding a construction program “1910.147 compliant” cites the wrong standard. Unlike confined spaces, Part 1926 has no wholesale re-enactment of 1910.147: construction energy-control duties are spread across hazard-specific provisions, so no single construction equivalent is named here. A construction employer is not governed by 29 CFR 1910.147, and the construction-side duties on this subject are not concentrated in a single standard. Check your Part 1926 obligations instead.
Does OSHA require a written lockout/tagout program in Arkansas?
Yes. 29 CFR 1910.147 requires an energy control program with documented procedures for the equipment serviced, employee training, and a periodic inspection of each procedure at least annually. In Arkansas, federal OSHA can cite the missing program, missing machine-specific steps, or the failure to lock out equipment during cleaning or maintenance.
Who enforces lockout/tagout (1910.147) for Arkansas employers?
Federal OSHA. With no State Plan, a compliance officer from OSHA's Little Rock Area Office inspects and cites 1910.147 directly at the federal penalty maximums. Arkansas poultry processing worksites are within the scope of OSHA's Regional Emphasis Program for Poultry Processing Facilities (CPL 2 02-02-030C, effective July 1, 2024), which lists lockout/tagout among the hazards it addresses.
Can I get free OSHA help in Arkansas without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Arkansas is Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing (OSHA Consultation Section). 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.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Related standards
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Other States
7 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1910.147 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
California8 CCR §3314 (applied to all employments by §3202(a))own maxHawaii29 CFR 1910.147 as incorporated by HAR §12-60-50(a), with §12-60-4 and §12-60-6Indiana29 CFR 1910.147 as applied in Indiana; review by the board of safety review, not OSHRCown maxKentucky803 KAR 2:309, Section 3own maxMinnesotaMinn. R. 5207.0600Nevada29 CFR 1910.147 as applied in Nevada, with NRS 618.383UtahUtah Admin. Code R614-1-5.D.6.bown maxAlabama
Other OSHA Standards in Arkansas
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.
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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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