OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Hawaii (2026)
Hawaii runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH), covering private-sector employers. 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
Hawaii is an OSHA-approved State Plan covering both private and public employers. Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums. 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 Hawaii federal OSHA or a state plan?
Hawaii runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH).
Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
Whose HazCom rule applies in Hawaii?
Hawaii takes the federal hazard communication text. It is one of 12 full State Plans that do, out of 22.
Hawaii takes the federal text as a dated CFR edition, the 2017 edition of Part 1910, with state additions on noise and toxic substances, none of which touches hazard communication.
Rule: HAR 12-60-50(a)
Hawaii incorporates a dated CFR edition: HAR 12-60-50(a) makes "Title 29, Part 1910 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 2017 Edition published as of July 1, 2017 ... a part of this chapter except as provided in subsections (b) through (d)." Those subsections add Hawaii-specific definitions, noise limits and toxic-substance requirements, but none of them amends 1910.1200. Chapter compiled 10/27/2018. For hazard communication the 2017 edition is not in fact behind the July 2024 edition (the one Utah named until its May 2026 amendment): both print 1910.1200 with its source citation closing at "78 FR 9313, Feb. 8, 2013", because the standard was not amended between February 2013 and May 2024 (verified in the 2017 and 2024 annual editions on govinfo). One caution if you go looking for the chapter yourself: an older printing naming the 2012 Edition is still in circulation, and the compiled 2018 version cited here is the current one.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Hawaii
Upload the Tier2 Submit files (.pdf and .t2s) and pay online through the Department of Health ePermitting system. Electronic filing is preferred; a paper copy is still accepted. Due before March 1 for the previous reporting year.
Hawaii Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Hawaii Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Hawaii 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.
Hawaii Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
248
Construction citations
91
Inspections with citations
$422,194
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (Hawaii, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in Hawaii, 2024
2.7
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 Hawaii
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Hawaii, the program is Consultation & Training Branch (Department of Labor & Industrial Relations). 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.
Hawaii OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 248 construction citations across 91 inspections ($422,194 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Hawaii Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Hawaii (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) enforces its own equivalent requirements in Hawaii.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.5016,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.1200698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.10532,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.4512,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.134
- 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 Hawaii
Inspections of construction employers opened in Hawaii from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 123 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236115 New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 19 | 15.4% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 13 | 10.6% |
| 238210 Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 12 | 9.8% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 10 | 8.1% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 10 | 8.1% |
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 Hawaii
▸Is Hawaii a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Hawaii is an OSHA-approved State Plan covering both private and public employers. Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in Hawaii in 2026?
Hawaii 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 Hawaii have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. Hawaii operates a full state plan administered by Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH), covering both private and public employers. State plans must be "at least as effective" as federal OSHA and may set higher penalties.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does Hawaii see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in Hawaii produced 248 citations across 91 inspections, with $422,194 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because Hawaii runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Hawaii?
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 Hawaii construction?
Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 most often in Hawaii construction in FY2025, 46 times (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). 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 Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH) before relying on them.
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.
Serious Violation
$16,550
per violation (max)
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