OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in North Carolina (2026)
North Carolina runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division, 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
North Carolina 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 North Carolina federal OSHA or a state plan?
North Carolina runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division.
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 North Carolina plan works, its own standards and its HazCom rule: North Carolina State Plan guide.
Whose HazCom rule applies in North Carolina?
North Carolina takes the federal hazard communication text. It is one of 12 full State Plans that do, out of 22.
North Carolina names its promulgation dates (June 1, 2022; July 1, 2024; October 10, 2024) and expressly excludes subsequent amendments: it has HCS 2024 as corrected, on the pre-extension calendar.
Rule: 13 NCAC 07F .0101
13 NCAC 07F .0101 as amended incorporates 29 CFR 1910 "promulgated as of June 1, 2022; July 1, 2024; October 10, 2024; and exclusive of subsequent amendments", except as modified in 13 NCAC 07F .0103 through .0106. October 10, 2024 falls just after the October 9, 2024 HCS corrections, so North Carolina carries HCS 2024 as corrected, but it precedes the January 15, 2026 extension, and the rule excludes subsequent amendments by its own terms.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in North Carolina
North Carolina accepts Tier II only through E-Plan; paper is refused.
North Carolina Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
North Carolina Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. North Carolina 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.
North Carolina Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
1,610
Construction citations
498
Inspections with citations
$2,935,359
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (North Carolina, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in North Carolina, 2024
4.1
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
7.9
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 28th 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 North Carolina
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In North Carolina, the program is Bureau of Consultative Services (North Carolina Department of Labor – OSH 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.
North Carolina consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
North Carolina OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 1,610 construction citations across 498 inspections ($2,935,359 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & North Carolina Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to North Carolina (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division enforces its own equivalent requirements in North Carolina.
- 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 North Carolina
Inspections of construction employers opened in North Carolina from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 987 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 266 | 27% |
| 236115 New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 187 | 18.9% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 170 | 17.2% |
| 236116 New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 49 | 5% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 41 | 4.2% |
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. data.dol.gov · NAICS 2022, sector 23
FAQ: OSHA in North Carolina
▸Is North Carolina a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
North Carolina 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 North Carolina in 2026?
North Carolina 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 North Carolina have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. North Carolina operates a full state plan administered by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division, 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 North Carolina see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in North Carolina produced 1,610 citations across 498 inspections, with $2,935,359 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because North Carolina runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina construction?
North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1926.501 most often in North Carolina construction in FY2025, 378 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).
OSHA Fine Calculator
Estimate penalties with size/good-faith/history reductions
HazCom Audit Checklist
Self-audit before OSHA shows up
GHS Label Generator
Compliant secondary-container labels
HazCom Program Generator
Generate your written program in minutes
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 North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division 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
$16,550
per violation (max)
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.