In New Jersey, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is enforced for private construction employers by federal OSHA (the state plan, NJ Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH), covers only public employees).
29 CFR 1910.147 · New Jersey
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in New Jersey
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in New Jersey: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
New JerseyGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)Federal OSHA (private) · State plan (public)
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In New Jersey, federal OSHA enforces 29 CFR 1910.147. The federal maximum for a serious violation is $16,550.
$16,550
federal maximum for a serious violation
$165,514
federal maximum for a willful or repeat violation
1.9
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, New Jersey, 2024 (BLS)
What federal OSHA is targeting in New Jersey
New Jersey 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 Emphasis Program – Refuse Handlers and Haulers
CPL 04-02-2401 · New York Regional Office · effective October 1, 2023
“This instruction applies to all Region II Area Offices.”
Refuse handling and hauling is programmed across every Region II area office. It reaches hazardous energy control because the injuries it targets come from compaction and baling equipment (packer blades and balers that must be locked out before anyone clears a jam), and it reaches protective equipment through the hazard assessment that waste handling calls for.
Contact incidents and work deaths in New Jersey, 2024
New Jersey recorded 84 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 81 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 11 of them (13%). Construction accounted for 17.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, New Jersey, 2024
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Cases in New Jersey
Taylor Farms New Jersey Inc.
$1,125,484Swedesboro, New Jersey - food-plant sanitation fatality · 2025
A worker was fatally injured during sanitation activities at the vegetable-processing facility in 2025. OSHA determined the company failed to implement lockout/tagout procedures to protect workers servicing equipment, and cited 16 safety violations with $1,125,484 in proposed penalties. The onsite staffing agency was separately cited $33,100 for not training workers on lockout/tagout.
U.S. Department of Labor / OSHA news release, November 24, 2025How New Jersey Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
New Jersey operates an OSHA-approved state plan (NJ Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH)), but it covers only state and local government employees. Private-sector construction employers in New Jersey are inspected by federal OSHA, which enforces 29 CFR 1910.147 directly using the federal penalty maximums. So if you run a private construction company in New Jersey, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) citations come from a federal Department of Labor compliance officer, not NJ Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH).
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 New Jersey 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.
For a private-sector jobsite in New Jersey, HazComFast shows that federal OSHA has jurisdiction, because the state plan covers public employers only. Start free
Help and oversight in New Jersey
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In New Jersey, the program is OSHA On-Site Consultation Service (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development). 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.
New Jersey consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
A State Plan for public employers only
“PEOSH 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 January 11, 2001 · 29 CFR 1952.25 · osha.gov
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Avenel Area Office (Avenel), the Hasbrouck Heights Area Office (Hasbrouck Heights), the Marlton Area Office (Marlton) and the Parsippany Area Office (Parsippany).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
New Jersey Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.147 (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) |
New Jersey 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 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 New Jersey: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; the NJ Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) 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 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 $16,550.
- 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)).
New Jersey Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
1,109 of them in New Jersey (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in New Jersey, FY2025: Framing Contractors (195), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (176) and Roofing Contractors (163), out of 1,078 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in New Jersey, 2024: 6.1 per 100,000 full-time workers, 38th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 1.9).
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 New Jersey
Which New Jersey industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in New Jersey, not the construction trades. Private-sector employers answer to federal OSHA (the NJ Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) plan covers only public workers). 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 New Jersey?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in New Jersey, so the construction citation totals published for New Jersey (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 OSHA require a written lockout/tagout program for New Jersey employers?
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. For private New Jersey employers, federal OSHA can cite the missing program or the failure to lock out equipment during sanitation and service. In 2025, OSHA proposed $1,125,484 against Taylor Farms New Jersey after a worker was fatally injured during sanitation, finding the company had not implemented lockout/tagout procedures.
Who enforces lockout/tagout (1910.147) for a private New Jersey employer?
Federal OSHA. New Jersey's PEOSH plan covers only public employees, so a compliance officer from OSHA's New York City region inspects and cites 1910.147 on private jobsites, at the federal penalty maximums.
Can I get free OSHA help in New Jersey without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in New Jersey is OSHA On-Site Consultation Service (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development). 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.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Guides & Resources
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Related standards
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Other States
7 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 maxKentucky803 KAR 2:309, Section 3own maxMinnesotaMinn. R. 5207.0600Nevada29 CFR 1910.147 as applied in Nevada, with NRS 618.383UtahUtah Admin. Code R614-1-5.D.6.bown maxAlabama
Other OSHA Standards in New Jersey
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.
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