In Kentucky, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation in 2026, rising to $70,000 for a willful or repeat violation. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is enforced for private construction employers by Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH). Kentucky sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.147 · Kentucky
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in Kentucky
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Kentucky: 2026 penalties, who enforces 803 KAR 2:309, Section 3, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
KentuckyGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH)State-set maximums
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In Kentucky, Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) enforces the state's own rule on this subject, 803 KAR 2:309, Section 3. A serious violation carries up to $7,000 in Kentucky.
$7,000
maximum for a serious violation in Kentucky
$70,000
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in Kentucky
3.7
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Kentucky, 2024 (BLS)
Kentucky 29 CFR 1910.147 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-081
citations of 29 CFR 1910.147 (FY2025)
$3,500
penalties for this standard
0.2%
of the state's 563 construction citations
In FY2025, Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 1 times on Kentucky construction jobsites with $3,500 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.2% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 47th on Kentucky's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Kentucky's own rule says
“If an energy isolating device is capable of being locked out, the employer's energy control program under 29 C.F.R. 1910.147(c)(1) shall utilize lockout.”
Kentucky replaced two of the federal standard's most-argued paragraphs. In place of 1910.147(c)(2)(ii), lockout is mandatory whenever the isolating device can be locked. The federal option of running a tagout program that provides full employee protection is gone. In place of 1910.147(c)(3)(i), a tagout device used on a device that cannot be locked must be attached at the point the lock would have gone, and the employer must still demonstrate equivalent safety. Everything else in Subpart J is adopted as federal text.
803 KAR 2:309, Section 3The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in Kentucky, 2024
Kentucky recorded 70 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 91 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 10 of them (14%). Construction accounted for 10.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Kentucky, 2024
How Kentucky Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
Kentucky runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Kentucky's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 803 KAR 2:309, Section 3, which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 1 time in Kentucky construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Kentucky also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, below the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
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 Kentucky 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.
HazComFast records the state of every jobsite and shows that the Kentucky State Plan governs it. Start free
Help and oversight in Kentucky
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Kentucky, the program is OSH Education and Training (Kentucky Labor Cabinet - Kentucky OSH Program). 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.
Kentucky Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.147 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $7,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Willful | $70,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Repeat | $70,000 | Kentucky state maximum |
| Failure to abate | $7,000/day | Kentucky state maximum per day |
Kentucky (KRS 338.991) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000. KY OSH cannot propose a penalty above these statutory caps. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
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 Kentucky: Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) can add requirements beyond the federal standard above, so check its own rules as well.
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 $7,000.
- 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)).
Kentucky Safety & Enforcement Profile
563
FY2025 construction citations
Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Kentucky, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (79), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (44) and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (16), out of 287 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in Kentucky, 2024: 7.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 31st highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 3.7).
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 Kentucky
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.147 violations in Kentucky in 2026?
In Kentucky, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000. Kentucky sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. Kentucky (KRS 338.991) sets its own maximums below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000. KY OSH cannot propose a penalty above these statutory caps. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: KRS 338.991; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Kentucky industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in Kentucky, not the construction trades. Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. 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 Kentucky?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in Kentucky, so the construction citation totals published for Kentucky (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 KY OSH require a written lockout/tagout program in Kentucky?
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 Kentucky, KY OSH, the state's own OSHA program, can cite the missing program, missing machine-specific steps, or the failure to isolate stored energy before service.
Who enforces lockout/tagout (1910.147) in Kentucky?
KY OSH, the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health program. Kentucky runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 1910.147 on private jobsites.
Can I get free OSHA help in Kentucky without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Kentucky is OSH Education and Training (Kentucky Labor Cabinet - Kentucky OSH Program). 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.
How often does Kentucky cite 29 CFR 1910.147 in construction?
In FY2025, Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (KY OSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 1 times on Kentucky construction jobsites, with $3,500 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.2% of the 563 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Guides & Resources
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Related standards
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Other States
6 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 maxMinnesotaMinn. R. 5207.0600Nevada29 CFR 1910.147 as applied in Nevada, with NRS 618.383UtahUtah Admin. Code R614-1-5.D.6.bown maxAlabamaArkansas
Other OSHA Standards in Kentucky
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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