In Maryland, 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 Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH). Maryland sets its own maximums, equal to the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1926.501 · Maryland
Fall Protection Requirements in Maryland
Fall Protection in Maryland: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
MarylandConstruction (29 CFR 1926)State Plan: Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)State-set maximums
In FY2025, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 434 times in Maryland construction (10.5% of its construction citations there, the 3rd most-cited standard there). The paragraph cited most was 1926.501(b)(13), residential construction, with 147 citations.
434
1926.501 citations in Maryland construction, FY2025
(b)(13)
paragraph cited most in Maryland (147 citations)
7.6
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, Maryland, 2024 (BLS)
Maryland 29 CFR 1926.501 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-08434
citations of 29 CFR 1926.501 (FY2025)
$785,294
penalties for this standard
10.5%
of the state's 4,132 construction citations
In FY2025, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 434 times on Maryland construction jobsites with $785,294 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 10.5% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it third on Maryland's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Maryland's own rule says
“An employer shall: (1) Provide drinking water at no cost to exposed employees as close to the work area as practicable; and (2) Make available at least 32 ounces of drinking water per hour to each exposed employee per work day.”
Fall protection in Maryland is the federal standard, adopted through the notice-by-notice list in COMAR 09.12.31.01: Subpart M entries appear there with their own Maryland effective dates, which is where to confirm whether a federal amendment has been taken up. The state duty that reaches roofers and steel crews hardest is elsewhere: COMAR 09.12.32 fixes drinking water at 32 ounces per hour per exposed employee, provided free and as close to the work area as practicable, once the heat index reaches 80. It is a quantity, not a general obligation to make water available, and it is enforceable on its own terms.
29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07The duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Falls and work deaths in Maryland, 2024
Maryland recorded 93 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 69 in 2023. Falls, slips and trips caused 10 of them (11%). Construction accounted for 18, 3 of them from falls, slips and trips.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Maryland, 2024
How Maryland Enforces 29 CFR 1926.501
Maryland runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Maryland's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is 29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07, which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 434 times in Maryland construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Maryland also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, equal to the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
In Maryland, the FY2025 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 went most often to Roofing Contractors (222) and Framing Contractors (123). A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against 29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
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Help and oversight in Maryland
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Maryland, the program is MOSH Consultation Services (Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). 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.
Maryland Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1926.501 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 | Maryland state maximum |
| Willful | $165,514 | Maryland state maximum |
| Repeat | $165,514 | Maryland state maximum |
| Failure to abate | $16,550/day | Maryland state maximum per day |
Maryland sets its penalties under Labor and Employment §5-810, and the Commissioner of Labor and Industry adjusts them each July 15 on the CPI-U. MOSH's current amounts, effective July 15, 2025: up to $16,550 per violation, up to $16,550 for each day a violation is not corrected, up to $165,514 per willful or repeated violation, and a minimum of $16,550 per willful violation. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
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 Maryland: Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) 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 1926.501 are on the 29 CFR 1926.501 page.
Most-Cited Fall Protection Paragraphs in Maryland, FY2025
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) issued 434 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Maryland construction employers in FY2025. The paragraphs cited most, with the official text. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- 1
1926.501(b)(13) Residential construction. 147 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 …”
- 2
1926.501(b)(11) Steep roofs. 140 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 …”
- 3
1926.501(b)(10) Roofing work on Low-slope roofs. 64 citations
“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) …”
- 4
1926.501(b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. 46 citations
“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)(4)(ii) 19 citations
“Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into or through holes (including skylights) by covers.”
- 6
1926.501(b)(4)(i) 9 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, …”
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
Maryland Safety & Enforcement Profile
4,132
FY2025 construction citations
Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Maryland, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (274), Framing Contractors (149) and Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (63), out of 798 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Cited most under 29 CFR 1926.501 in Maryland, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (222), Framing Contractors (123) and Siding Contractors (20), of 434 citations.
- Construction fatality rate in Maryland, 2024: 7.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 31st highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 3.2).
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 Maryland
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1926.501 violations in Maryland in 2026?
In Maryland, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1926.501 carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514. Maryland sets its own maximums, equal to the federal baseline. Maryland sets its penalties under Labor and Employment §5-810, and the Commissioner of Labor and Industry adjusts them each July 15 on the CPI-U. MOSH's current amounts, effective July 15, 2025: up to $16,550 per violation, up to $16,550 for each day a violation is not corrected, up to $165,514 per willful or repeated violation, and a minimum of $16,550 per willful violation. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §5-810; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Maryland construction trades are cited most under Fall Protection?
In FY2025, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) issued 434 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Maryland construction employers, most often to Roofing Contractors (222), Framing Contractors (123) and Siding Contractors (20) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data, by the cited employer's NAICS industry). Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. For context, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) issued 4,132 construction citations across 621 inspections in FY2025. Companies in these trades should self-audit against 29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07, Maryland's own rule on this subject.
How often is Fall Protection cited on Maryland jobsites?
In FY2025, Maryland's state plan (Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)) issued 4,132 construction citations across 621 inspections (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23). Fall Protection can be cited during any of them: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Maryland's fatality figures are shown above.
Who enforces fall protection (1926.501) on Maryland construction sites?
MOSH, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health program under the Department of Labor, not federal OSHA. Maryland runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 29 CFR 1926.501 on private jobsites, 434 times in FY2025 construction.
How many construction citations did MOSH issue in FY2025?
MOSH issued 4,132 construction citations across 621 inspections in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Hazard Communication (1910.1200) was the standard it cited most, 609 times. Fall protection (1926.501) ranked third, with 434.
Can I get free OSHA help in Maryland without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Maryland is MOSH Consultation Services (Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). 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 Maryland cite 29 CFR 1926.501 in construction?
In FY2025, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 434 times on Maryland construction jobsites, with $785,294 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 10.5% of the 4,132 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
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
13 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 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)New Mexico29 CFR 1926.501 as incorporated by 11.5.3.9(A) NMACown max
Other OSHA Standards in Maryland
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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Serious violation, Maryland
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