OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Illinois (2026)
Illinois has a public-employee-only State Plan run by Illinois OSHA (IL OSHA); private-sector construction is under federal OSHA. 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
Illinois is a state plan for public employers only: it covers state and local government workers, while private-sector employers fall under federal OSHA. If you are a private contractor here, federal OSHA enforces your worksite and the federal penalty amounts apply. The state plan covers only state and local government employees. 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 Illinois federal OSHA or a state plan?
Illinois has a public-sector-only state plan (Illinois OSHA (IL OSHA)). Private-sector construction falls under federal OSHA.
If you are a private contractor here, federal OSHA enforces your worksite and the federal penalty amounts apply. The state plan covers only state and local government employees.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Illinois
Tier II is filed electronically in Hazconnect, IEMA-OHS's online system; paper copies are refused. Filed between January 1 and March 1 for the previous year; IEMA-OHS may report late filers to EPA.
Illinois Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Illinois Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Illinois 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.
Illinois Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
DOL data · counted 2026-09-26Federal OSHA inspections of Illinois 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.
3,267
Construction citations
1,019
Inspections with citations
$13,676,275
Penalties (current amounts); $17,731,919 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 Illinois construction
The ten standards cited most often in federal OSHA inspections of Illinois construction employers, FY2025 (3,267 citations across 65 standards). Section titles are the official eCFR headings.
| Rank | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1926.501 Duty to have fall protectionSubpart M: Fall Protection | 722 | 22.1% |
| #2 | 1926.503 Training requirementsSubpart M: Fall Protection | 337 | 10.3% |
| #3 | 1926.1053 LaddersSubpart X: Stairways and Ladders | 297 | 9.1% |
| #4 | 1926.102 Eye and face protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 272 | 8.3% |
| #5 | 1926.451 General requirementsSubpart L: Scaffolds | 219 | 6.7% |
| #6 | 1903.19 Abatement verification | 188 | 5.8% |
| #6 | 1926.20 General safety and health provisionsSubpart C: General Safety and Health Provisions | 188 | 5.8% |
| #8 | 1926.100 Head protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 169 | 5.2% |
| #9 | 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practicesSubpart M: Fall Protection | 155 | 4.7% |
| #9 | 1926.1153 Respirable crystalline silicaSubpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances | 155 | 4.7% |
How Illinois compares with federal OSHA nationwide
3.21
citations per inspection (national: 2.46)
13.2%
of citations classified repeat (national: 8.7%); 37 willful
−22.9%
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 Illinois, 2024
2.7
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
8.4
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 26th highest of the 40 states BLS published
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 Illinois
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Illinois, the program is Illinois On-site Consultation (Illinois Department of Labor). 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.
A State Plan for public employers only
“Illinois OSHA covers all state and local government workers in the state.” “OSHA also exercises authority over private sector employers in the state and federal OSHA standards apply to these workers.”
Initial approval September 01, 2009 · 29 CFR 1952.27 · osha.gov
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Chicago North Area Office (Arlington Heights), the Chicago South Area Office (Tinley Park), the Fairview Heights Area Office (Fairview Heights), the Naperville Area Office (Naperville) and the Peoria Area Office (Peoria).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Illinois OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Federal OSHA (Illinois OSHA (IL OSHA) covers only public employees).
- •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: 3,267 construction citations in Illinois across 1,019 inspections ($13,676,275 in penalties, HazComFast count); 26,559 nationwide.
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Illinois Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Illinois (penalties, common violations, checklist).The first count is federal OSHA's in Illinois (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 Illinois.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501722 federal citations in Illinois · most-cited there · FY20256,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.120037 federal citations in Illinois · #15 there · FY2025698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.1053297 federal citations in Illinois · #3 there · FY20252,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.451219 federal citations in Illinois · #5 there · FY20252,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.13424 federal citations in Illinois · #21 there · FY2025
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)29 CFR 1910.147
- Forklifts29 CFR 1910.17834 federal citations in Illinois · #17 there · FY2025
- Stairways (Construction)29 CFR 1926.105212 federal citations in Illinois · #24 there · FY2025
- PPE General Requirements29 CFR 1910.132
- Confined Spaces29 CFR 1910.1465 federal citations in Illinois · #33 there · FY2025
Construction trades inspected most in Illinois
Inspections of construction employers opened in Illinois from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 1,431 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 558 | 39% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 154 | 10.8% |
| 237310 Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 133 | 9.3% |
| 238140 Masonry Contractors | 99 | 6.9% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 64 | 4.5% |
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 Illinois
▸Is Illinois a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Illinois is a state plan for public employers only: it covers state and local government workers, while private-sector employers fall under federal OSHA. If you are a private contractor here, federal OSHA enforces your worksite and the federal penalty amounts apply. The state plan covers only state and local government employees.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in Illinois in 2026?
Illinois 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 Illinois have its own OSHA plan?
Illinois has a public-sector-only state plan (administered by Illinois OSHA (IL OSHA)), which covers only state and local government workers. Private-sector employers are inspected and cited by federal OSHA.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does Illinois see?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break out federal-OSHA states like Illinois, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do. In FY2025, federal OSHA inspections of Illinois construction employers produced 3,267 citations across 1,019 inspections, with $13,676,275 in penalties at current amounts ($17,731,919 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 Illinois?
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 Illinois construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Duty to have fall protection) most often in Illinois construction, 722 times, followed by 29 CFR 1926.503 (337) and 29 CFR 1926.1053 (297) (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 Illinois OSHA (IL OSHA) before relying on them.
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$16,550
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