In Kansas, 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.
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29 CFR 1910.147 · Kansas
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in Kansas
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Kansas: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In Kansas, 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
4.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Kansas, 2024 (BLS)
What federal OSHA is targeting in Kansas
Kansas 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 (REP) for Grain Handling Facilities
KCM-CPL-04-00-001 · Kansas City Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This Notice applies to Kansas City Region Federal Area Offices.”
Grain handling is programmed across the Kansas City region's federal area offices (Omaha, Wichita, Kansas City and St. Louis. In three states where grain storage is everywhere, this is the directive that puts bin entry permits, attendants and lockout procedures in front of an inspector without a complaint being filed.
Kansas Local Emphasis Program (LEP) on Oil and Gas Operations
KCM-CPL-04-00-008 · Kansas City Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This Instruction applies to the State of Kansas.”
Kansas has an oil and gas program written for the state as a whole rather than for an area office. Together with the state's own construction program and the region-wide falls, grain and forklift programs, a Kansas employer can be inside four or five programmed-inspection programs at once depending on what it does.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Kansas, 2024
Kansas recorded 56 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 53 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 13 of them (23%). Construction accounted for 10.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Kansas, 2024
How Kansas Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
Kansas 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. A Kansas 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 Kansas
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Kansas, the program is Kansas Department of Labor (Division of Industrial Safety & 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.
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Wichita Area Office (Wichita).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Kansas 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) |
Kansas 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 Kansas: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; Kansas 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)).
Kansas Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
743 of them in Kansas (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Kansas, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (137), Framing Contractors (71) and Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (20), out of 304 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Kansas, 2024: 10.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, 12th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 4.1).
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. 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 Kansas
Which Kansas industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in Kansas, not the construction trades. Federal OSHA inspects these employers directly, since Kansas 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 Kansas?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in Kansas, so the construction citation totals published for Kansas (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 Kansas?
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 Kansas, federal OSHA can cite the missing program or missing machine-specific steps. Inside bins, silos and tanks at grain handling facilities, 29 CFR 1910.272(g)(1)(ii) separately requires dangerous mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic equipment to be de-energized and locked out, tagged, blocked off or otherwise prevented from operating before entry.
Who enforces lockout/tagout (1910.147) for Kansas employers?
Federal OSHA. With no State Plan, a compliance officer from OSHA's Wichita Area Office inspects and cites 1910.147 directly at the federal penalty maximums. OSHA's Kansas City region runs a Regional Emphasis Program for Grain Handling Facilities in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri (KCM-CPL-04-00-001, effective October 1, 2024), which directs inspectors to pay special attention to engulfment hazards and combustible dust.
Can I get free OSHA help in Kansas without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Kansas is Kansas Department of Labor (Division of Industrial Safety & 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.
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.
Other OSHA Standards in Kansas
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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