OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Michigan (2026)
Michigan runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), covering private-sector employers. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $7,000 and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000 under the state's own maximums.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Michigan is an OSHA-approved State Plan covering both private and public employers. Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums. A serious violation carries up to $7,000 and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000 per violation in 2026.
29 CFR 1903.15state statute2026 amounts unchanged from 2025, with no inflation increase.
Is Michigan federal OSHA or a state plan?
Michigan runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).
Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
Whose HazCom rule applies in Michigan?
Michigan has its own hazard communication rule to read. OSHA lists hazard communication among this plan’s own standards, one of 10 full State Plans, out of 22. That label says a state rule exists, not what it contains: some states write a separate text, some deliver the federal text under their own numbering at fixed dates, and some add a state right-to-know layer on top of the federal standard.
Michigan runs HazCom through its own numbered Parts and pins the federal standard to fixed dates, the latest being July 19, 2024, which predates the 2026 extension.
Rule: MIOSHA Part 92, R 408.19202 (Parts 42 / 92 / 430)
Michigan adopts 29 CFR 1910.1200 at fixed dates, not "as amended": R 408.19202(1)(a) names the standard as of July 19, 2024, (1)(b) as of February 8, 2013, and (1)(c) picks up 29 CFR 1926.59, the construction hazard communication section, as of June 20, 1996, which is that section's only version and merely points back at 1910.1200. The rules took effect August 12, 2025 (2025 MR 15). July 19, 2024 is the HCS 2024 effective date, so Michigan has the 2024 standard, but the January 15, 2026 extension postdates every date Michigan names. The consequence is the same as Minnesota's: the paragraph (j) Michigan pinned carries the original compliance dates, so on the face of the rule a Michigan employer's substances date was July 20, 2026 rather than November 20, 2026. HazComFast found no MIOSHA guidance on the point, so confirm it with the agency before planning to either date.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Michigan
Tier II Manager is Michigan's official online system, and filing there is free. The annual report is filed between January 1 and March 1, for the previous calendar year.
Michigan Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Michigan Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Michigan sets its own maximums (see note below). MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035State-set figures, effective MCL 408.1035, amounts unchanged (legislature.mi.gov, read 2026-09-15).
Serious Violation
$7,000
per violation (max)
Willful / Repeat
$70,000
per violation (max)
Failure to Abate
$7,000
per day
Michigan sets its own penalty maximums. Michigan's MIOSH Act (MCL 408.1035) sets its own maximums, unchanged since 1990 and well below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000 (minimum $5,000 per willful). Legislation to raise these to federal levels has been proposed but was not enacted as of mid-2026.
| Violation type | Minimum | Maximum | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | State schedule | $7,000 | MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035 |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 | $7,000 | MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035 |
| Willful | $5,000 | $70,000 | MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035 |
| Repeated | State schedule | $70,000 | MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035 |
| Failure to Abate | None | $7,000 / day | MIOSH Act, MCL 408.1035 |
Michigan sets these maximums by state law; reductions for size, good faith and history follow the state agency’s own penalty policy, not the federal manual.
Michigan Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
4,005
Construction citations
1,265
Inspections with citations
$1,779,590
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (Michigan, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in Michigan, 2024
3.3
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
9.9
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 16th 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 Michigan
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Michigan, the program is Consultation, Education and Training Division (Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Licensing & Regulatory Affairs). 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.
Michigan OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $7,000 serious / $70,000 willful-repeat (state-set), $7,000/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 4,005 construction citations across 1,265 inspections ($1,779,590 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Michigan Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Michigan (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) enforces its own equivalent requirements in Michigan.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.5016,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.1200698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.10532,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.4512,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.134
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)29 CFR 1910.147
- Forklifts29 CFR 1910.178
- Stairways (Construction)29 CFR 1926.1052
- PPE General Requirements29 CFR 1910.132
- Confined Spaces29 CFR 1910.146
Construction trades inspected most in Michigan
Inspections of construction employers opened in Michigan from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 1,931 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 353 | 18.3% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 182 | 9.4% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 172 | 8.9% |
| 238210 Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 149 | 7.7% |
| 238220 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 129 | 6.7% |
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. data.dol.gov · NAICS 2022, sector 23
FAQ: OSHA in Michigan
▸Is Michigan a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Michigan is an OSHA-approved State Plan covering both private and public employers. Private-sector construction employers in this state answer to the state plan, not federal OSHA. Its standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some state plans set higher penalty maximums.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in Michigan in 2026?
Michigan sets its own maximums: Michigan's MIOSH Act (MCL 408.1035) sets its own maximums, unchanged since 1990 and well below the federal amounts: serious up to $7,000; willful/repeat up to $70,000 (minimum $5,000 per willful). Legislation to raise these to federal levels has been proposed but was not enacted as of mid-2026. Serious violations carry up to $7,000 each (other-than-serious the same), and Willful or Repeat violations up to $70,000 each. Failure-to-Abate runs up to $7,000 per day. These 2026 amounts are unchanged from 2025 (no inflation adjustment).
▸Does Michigan have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. Michigan operates a full state plan administered by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), covering both private and public employers. State plans must be "at least as effective" as federal OSHA and may set higher penalties.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does Michigan see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in Michigan produced 4,005 citations across 1,265 inspections, with $1,779,590 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because Michigan runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Michigan?
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. Michigan's state-set maximums are tracked separately by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in Michigan construction?
In the FY2025 construction list OSHA publishes for Michigan, 29 CFR 1926.501 ranks #3, with 387 citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). 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 Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) before relying on them.
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, Michigan
$7,000
per violation (max)
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