In Maine, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Fall Protection is enforced for private construction employers by federal OSHA (the state plan, Maine Department of Labor - SafetyWorks!, covers only public employees).
29 CFR 1926.501 · Maine
Fall Protection Requirements in Maine
Fall Protection in Maine: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1926.501, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
MaineConstruction (29 CFR 1926)Federal OSHA (private) · State plan (public)
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 11 times in Maine construction (7.4% of its construction citations there, the 2nd most-cited standard there). The paragraph cited most was 1926.501(b)(11), steep roofs, with 5 citations.
11
1926.501 citations in Maine construction, FY2025
(b)(11)
paragraph cited most in Maine (5 citations)
13.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, Maine, 2024 (BLS)
Federal OSHA in Maine: 29 CFR 1926.501, FY2025
Counted · 2026-09-2611
citations of 29 CFR 1926.501 in 10 inspections
$88,563
penalties, current amounts ($100,819 as first proposed)
7.4%
of the 148 federal construction citations in Maine
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 11 times in inspections of Maine construction employers. It ranked second of the 50 standards cited in them. By classification: 7 serious, 1 repeat, 1 willful, 2 other-than-serious. Most-cited paragraphs: 1926.501(b)(11) (5), 1926.501(b)(13) (2), 1926.501(b)(4)(i) (2).
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
What federal OSHA is targeting in Maine
Maine 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 Local Emphasis Program for Residential Construction
BOS-CPL-04-00-030 · Boston Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This instruction applies to Federal OSHA, Boston Region jurisdiction.”
Residential construction is scheduled for programmed inspection across the whole Boston region, and the directive names the industries it targets by NAICS: 236115 and 236116 for new single-family and multifamily housing, and the 238 specialty trade codes including framing, roofing, siding, masonry and drywall. A residential framing or roofing crew here is not waiting for a complaint to be inspected; it is on a targeting list.
Regional Local Emphasis Program Cranes in Construction
BOS-CPL-04-00-028 · Boston Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This instruction applies to Federal OSHA, Boston Region jurisdiction.”
Cranes in construction carry a separate regional program here. It matters on scaffold and fall-protection work because a crane on site makes the whole project a candidate for a programmed inspection, and an inspection opened on the crane does not stop at the crane.
Falls and work deaths in Maine, 2024
Maine recorded 19 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 27 in 2023. BLS did not publish a separate 2024 count of deaths from falls, slips and trips for Maine. Construction accounted for 7.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Maine, 2024
Fall Protection Cases in Maine
Purvis Home Improvement Co. Inc. (Shawn D. Purvis)
$1,792,726Saco, Maine - fatal fall in Portland · 2019
After an employee died in Portland on December 13, 2018, OSHA found the roofing contractor had knowingly failed to ensure the use of fall protection at that site and at another in Old Orchard Beach. Citing his knowledge of the hazard and an extensive violation history, OSHA issued 13 egregious-willful violations, one for each exposed employee per site, and a total of $1,792,726 in penalties. A Portland grand jury later indicted the owner for manslaughter.
U.S. Department of Labor / OSHA news release, June 12, 2019How Maine Enforces 29 CFR 1926.501
Maine operates an OSHA-approved state plan (Maine Department of Labor - SafetyWorks!), but it covers only state and local government employees. Private-sector construction employers in Maine are inspected by federal OSHA, which enforces 29 CFR 1926.501 directly using the federal penalty maximums. So if you run a private construction company in Maine, Fall Protection citations come from a federal Department of Labor compliance officer, not Maine Department of Labor - SafetyWorks!.
In Maine, the FY2025 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 went most often to Roofing Contractors (8) and New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (1). A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against 29 CFR 1926.501, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
For a private-sector jobsite in Maine, HazComFast shows that federal OSHA has jurisdiction, because the state plan covers public employers only. Start free
Help and oversight in Maine
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Maine, the program is Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety & Health Division). 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
“The Maine State Plan 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 August 5, 2015 · 29 CFR 1952.28 · osha.gov
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Augusta Area Office (Augusta) and the Bangor District Office (Bangor).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Maine Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1926.501 (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) |
Maine 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 Fall Protection Requirements 29 CFR 1926.501
- Provide fall protection at 6 feet above a lower level: a guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest system
- Protect workers at unprotected sides/edges, leading edges, hoist areas, ramps, and excavation edges (1926.501(b))
- Cover or guard every floor hole and skylight: protection from falling through above 6 ft, and from stepping in at any height
- Related duties under neighboring standards: system criteria 1926.502, training 1926.503, scaffold fall protection 1926.451(g)
Who enforces it in Maine: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; the Maine Department of Labor - SafetyWorks! State Plan covers state and local government workers only.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1926.501 are on the 29 CFR 1926.501 page.
Most-Cited Fall Protection Paragraphs in Maine, FY2025
Federal OSHA issued 11 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Maine construction employers in FY2025. The paragraphs cited most, with the official text. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- 1
1926.501(b)(11) Steep roofs. 5 citations
“Each employee on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems …”
- 2
1926.501(b)(13) Residential construction. 2 citations
“Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall …”
- 3
1926.501(b)(4)(i) 2 citations
“Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, …”
- 4
1926.501(b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. 1 citation
“Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level …”
- 5
1926.501(b)(10) Roofing work on Low-slope roofs. 1 citation
“Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each employee engaged in roofing activities on low-slope roofs, with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) …”
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (NAICS 23), by the paragraph cited. Paragraph text: eCFR, current as of September 24, 2026. data.dol.gov
Maine Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
148 of them in Maine (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Maine, FY2025: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (30), Roofing Contractors (13) and Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (5), out of 77 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Cited most under 29 CFR 1926.501 in Maine, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (8), New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (1) and Siding Contractors (1), of 11 citations.
- Construction fatality rate in Maine, 2024: 13.2 per 100,000 full-time workers, 7th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 3.0).
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. HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (NAICS 23), grouped by the cited 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 Fall Protection Compliance Tools
Fall Protection FAQ for Maine
Which Maine construction trades are cited most under Fall Protection?
In FY2025, federal OSHA issued 11 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Maine construction employers, most often to Roofing Contractors (8), New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (1) and Siding Contractors (1) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data, by the cited employer's NAICS industry). Private-sector employers answer to federal OSHA (the Maine Department of Labor - SafetyWorks! plan covers only public workers). For context, federal OSHA issued 148 citations across 46 inspections of Maine construction employers in FY2025 (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). Companies in these trades should self-audit against 29 CFR 1926.501 on a recurring basis.
How often is Fall Protection cited on Maine jobsites?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break Maine out, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do: in FY2025, federal OSHA issued 148 citations across 46 inspections of Maine construction employers, 11 of them under 29 CFR 1926.501 (HazComFast count). A Fall Protection citation in Maine can come from any inspection: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Maine's fatality figures are shown above.
Does Maine's State Plan cover my construction company?
Only if it is a state or local government employer. Maine's State Plan covers state and local government employees only; a private-sector construction employer in Maine is under federal OSHA, which enforces 29 CFR 1926.501 using the federal penalty maximums ($16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat in 2026).
What are notable OSHA fall-protection cases in Maine?
In 2019, OSHA cited Purvis Home Improvement with 13 egregious-willful violations and $1,792,726 in proposed penalties after an employee's fatal fall in Portland. In 2022, ARP Renovation LLC faced $501,376 in proposed penalties after OSHA found at least five employees exposed to falls of 10 to 18 feet at a Hampden worksite (source: US DOL / OSHA news releases).
Can I get free OSHA help in Maine without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Maine is Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (Workplace Safety & Health Division). 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 federal OSHA cite 29 CFR 1926.501 in Maine construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 11 times in 10 inspections of Maine construction employers, with $88,563 in penalties at current amounts ($100,819 as first proposed), 7.4% of the 148 citations those inspections produced. It ranked second of the 50 standards cited. (HazComFast count from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, retrieved 2026-09-26.)
Fall Protection Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
Related standards
Fall Protection in Other States
14 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1926.501 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by 8 AAC 61.1010(c), with 8 AAC 61.1150 for steel erectionCalifornia8 CCR §1670(a), with §1621(a) for railings and §1730 for roofingown maxHawaiiHAR §12-110-3, with the definition of "infeasible" at §12-110-50(b)(1)Kentucky803 KAR 2:412own maxMaryland29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07own maxMichiganMIOSHA Construction Safety Standard Part 45, R 408.44501 to R 408.44502own maxMinnesota29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by Minn. R. 5205.0010, subp. 6, with Minn. R. 5207.0250NevadaNRS 618.983 and NRS 618.987 (mandatory OSHA-10 and OSHA-30)
Other OSHA Standards in Maine
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.
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)
VS
HazComFast Pro
$199/mo
10 jobsites, unlimited chemicals, unlimited workers
New sign-ups are paused. The free tools below need no account, and customers can log in as usual.
Your account keeps working as usual. Cancel anytime.