OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in District of Columbia (2026)
District of Columbia is under federal OSHA jurisdiction, with no State Plan. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 (federal maximums).
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
District of Columbia is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly. A serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 per violation in 2026.
29 CFR 1903.15OSHA 2026 adjustment memo2026 amounts unchanged from 2025, with no inflation increase.
Is District of Columbia federal OSHA or a state plan?
District of Columbia is a federal OSHA state. It has no approved state plan, so federal OSHA enforces directly.
Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
District of Columbia Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. District of Columbia applies the federal amounts. 29 CFR 1903.15(d)
Serious Violation
$16,550
per violation (max)
Willful / Repeat
$165,514
per violation (max)
Failure to Abate
$16,550
per day
| Violation type | Minimum | Maximum | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | $1,085 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(3) |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(4) |
| Willful | $11,823 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(1) |
| Repeated | $4,256 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(2) |
| Failure to Abate | None | $16,550 / day | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(5) |
2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. Penalties are reduced for employer size, good faith, and clean history before assessment (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Use the calculator below for a realistic estimate.
District of Columbia Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
DOL data · counted 2026-09-26Federal OSHA inspections of District of Columbia construction employers (NAICS 23), October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break federal-OSHA states out; these are HazComFast's counts from the Labor Department's enforcement data.
76
Construction citations
20
Inspections with citations
$198,423
Penalties (current amounts); $255,122 as first proposed
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). data.dol.gov National reference: 26,559 federal construction citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, FY2025).
What federal OSHA cites most in District of Columbia construction
The ten standards cited most often in federal OSHA inspections of District of Columbia construction employers, FY2025 (76 citations across 21 standards). Section titles are the official eCFR headings.
| Rank | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1926.1053 LaddersSubpart X: Stairways and Ladders | 15 | 19.7% |
| #2 | 1926.451 General requirementsSubpart L: Scaffolds | 14 | 18.4% |
| #3 | 1926.501 Duty to have fall protectionSubpart M: Fall Protection | 9 | 11.8% |
| #4 | 1926.651 Specific excavation requirementsSubpart P: Excavations | 5 | 6.6% |
| #5 | 1926.21 Safety training and educationSubpart C: General Safety and Health Provisions | 4 | 5.3% |
| #5 | 1926.405 Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general useSubpart K: Electrical | 4 | 5.3% |
| #5 | 1926.701 General requirementsSubpart Q: Concrete and Masonry Construction | 4 | 5.3% |
| #8 | 1926.503 Training requirementsSubpart M: Fall Protection | 3 | 3.9% |
| #8 | 1926.652 Requirements for protective systemsSubpart P: Excavations | 3 | 3.9% |
| #10 | 1926.102 Eye and face protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 2 | 2.6% |
How District of Columbia compares with federal OSHA nationwide
3.8
citations per inspection (national: 2.46)
0%
of citations classified repeat (national: 8.7%); none willful
−22.2%
penalties now vs. as first proposed (national: −22.5%)
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). Classifications and penalty amounts are as recorded to date; open cases can still change them. data.dol.gov
Work fatality rates in District of Columbia, 2024
3.0
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
Not published
BLS did not publish a construction rate for this state in 2024
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: fatal injury rates by state of incident and industry, all ownerships, 2024 . BLS computes state rates with CPS and LAUS data; they rank states against each other and are not compared here with the national hours-based rate.
Help and oversight in District of Columbia
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In District of Columbia, the program is Office of Occupational Safety & Health (D.C. Department of Employment Services). 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.
District of Columbia consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Baltimore-Washington DC Area Office (Linthicum).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
District of Columbia OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Federal OSHA, no State Plan.
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: under 29 CFR 1903.17(a), the notice of contest must be postmarked within 15 working days of receiving the citation and proposed penalty.
- •Federal FY2025: 76 construction citations in District of Columbia across 20 inspections ($198,423 in penalties, HazComFast count); 26,559 nationwide.
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & District of Columbia Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to District of Columbia (penalties, common violations, checklist).The first count is federal OSHA's in District of Columbia (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data); the second, where shown, is the national federal construction total from OSHA's tool, FY2025. These apply directly to private construction in District of Columbia.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.5019 federal citations in District of Columbia · #3 there · FY20256,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.1200698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.105315 federal citations in District of Columbia · most-cited there · FY20252,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.45114 federal citations in District of Columbia · #2 there · FY20252,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.1341 federal citations in District of Columbia · #13 there · FY2025
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)29 CFR 1910.147
- Forklifts29 CFR 1910.178
- Stairways (Construction)29 CFR 1926.1052
- PPE General Requirements29 CFR 1910.132
- Confined Spaces29 CFR 1910.146
Construction trades inspected most in District of Columbia
Inspections of construction employers opened in District of Columbia from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 132 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 48 | 36.4% |
| 236116 New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 12 | 9.1% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 12 | 9.1% |
| 238210 Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 8 | 6.1% |
| 238110 Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | 7 | 5.3% |
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. data.dol.gov · NAICS 2022, sector 23
FAQ: OSHA in District of Columbia
▸Is District of Columbia a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
District of Columbia is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in District of Columbia in 2026?
District of Columbia applies the federal civil-penalty amounts (29 CFR 1903.15): Serious violations carry up to $16,550 each (other-than-serious the same), and Willful or Repeat violations up to $165,514 each. Failure-to-Abate runs up to $16,550 per day. These 2026 amounts are unchanged from 2025 (no inflation adjustment).
▸Does District of Columbia have its own OSHA plan?
No. District of Columbia has no state plan (federal OSHA); federal OSHA enforces all covered employers and the federal penalty amounts apply.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does District of Columbia see?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break out federal-OSHA states like District of Columbia, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do. In FY2025, federal OSHA inspections of District of Columbia construction employers produced 76 citations across 20 inspections, with $198,423 in penalties at current amounts ($255,122 as first proposed). That is a HazComFast count; nationally, federal OSHA construction inspections produced 26,559 citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23).
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in District of Columbia?
No. The 2026 federal maximums are unchanged from 2025 because the required CPI adjustment was not published (OMB Memo M-26-11), so the 2025 amounts carry forward unchanged. 29 CFR 1903.15 identifies January 15, 2025 as the effective reference for these figures. Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in District of Columbia construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.1053 (Ladders) most often in District of Columbia construction, 15 times, followed by 29 CFR 1926.451 (14) and 29 CFR 1926.501 (9) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). Nationally, federal OSHA cited fall protection (29 CFR 1926.501) most often in construction in FY2025, 6,772 times (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards).
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Sources & verification
- OSHA Penalties (osha.gov/penalties)
- OSHA State Plans (osha.gov/stateplans)
- 2026 Annual Adjustments to OSHA Civil Penalties
Penalty amounts and plan status were checked against OSHA sources on 2026-10-05. This page is general information, not legal advice. State plans set their own amounts and procedures; confirm current figures with OSHA before relying on them.
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