OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Minnesota (2026)
Minnesota runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA), covering private-sector employers. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 (federal maximums).
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Minnesota 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 $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 per violation in 2026.
29 CFR 1903.15OSHA 2026 adjustment memo2026 amounts unchanged from 2025, with no inflation increase.
Is Minnesota federal OSHA or a state plan?
Minnesota runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA).
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. How the Minnesota plan works, its own standards and its HazCom rule: Minnesota State Plan guide.
Whose HazCom rule applies in Minnesota?
Minnesota 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.
Minnesota layers its own Employee Right to Know standard on top, and its federal adoption is frozen to notices published through October 9, 2024.
Rule: Minn. R. 5205.0010 (adoption) + the Employee Right to Know rules
Minnesota adopts federal standards statically, by enumerated Federal Register citation. Its list runs to the May 20, 2024 HazCom rule and the October 9, 2024 corrections, and contains no citation dated 2025 or 2026, so the January 15, 2026 extension is not in it. The consequence is the same as Michigan's: the paragraph (j) Minnesota incorporated carried the original compliance dates, so on the face of the rule a Minnesota employer's substances date was July 20, 2026 rather than November 20, 2026. Minnesota DLI has published no 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.
Minnesota Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Minnesota applies the federal amounts. 29 CFR 1903.15(d)
Serious Violation
$16,550
per violation (max)
Willful / Repeat
$165,514
per violation (max)
Failure to Abate
$16,550
per day
| Violation type | Minimum | Maximum | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | $1,085 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(3) |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(4) |
| Willful | $11,823 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(1) |
| Repeated | $4,256 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(2) |
| Failure to Abate | None | $16,550 / day | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(5) |
2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. Penalties are reduced for employer size, good faith, and clean history before assessment (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Use the calculator below for a realistic estimate.
Minnesota Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
435
Construction citations
178
Inspections with citations
$1,220,470
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (Minnesota, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in Minnesota, 2024
2.9
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
9.1
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 21st 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 Minnesota
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Minnesota, the program is Workplace Safety Consultation (Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry). 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.
Minnesota consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Minnesota OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 435 construction citations across 178 inspections ($1,220,470 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Minnesota Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Minnesota (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) enforces its own equivalent requirements in Minnesota.
- 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 Minnesota
Inspections of construction employers opened in Minnesota from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 266 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 49 | 18.4% |
| 236116 New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 43 | 16.2% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 32 | 12% |
| 237110 Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction | 25 | 9.4% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 16 | 6% |
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 Minnesota
▸Is Minnesota a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Minnesota 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 Minnesota in 2026?
Minnesota applies the federal civil-penalty amounts (29 CFR 1903.15): Serious violations carry up to $16,550 each (other-than-serious the same), and Willful or Repeat violations up to $165,514 each. Failure-to-Abate runs up to $16,550 per day. These 2026 amounts are unchanged from 2025 (no inflation adjustment).
▸Does Minnesota have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. Minnesota operates a full state plan administered by Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA), 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 Minnesota see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in Minnesota produced 435 citations across 178 inspections, with $1,220,470 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because Minnesota runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Minnesota?
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. Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in Minnesota construction?
Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 most often in Minnesota construction in FY2025, 83 times (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 Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) before relying on them.
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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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