In North Carolina, 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 North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division.
29 CFR 1910.147 · North Carolina
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in North Carolina
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in North Carolina: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
North CarolinaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In North Carolina, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division 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
4.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, North Carolina, 2024 (BLS)
North Carolina 29 CFR 1910.147 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-086
citations of 29 CFR 1910.147 (FY2025)
$36,331
penalties for this standard
0.4%
of the state's 1,610 construction citations
In FY2025, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 6 times on North Carolina construction jobsites with $36,331 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.4% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 28th on North Carolina's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What North Carolina's own rule says
Lockout/tagout applies in North Carolina as incorporated federal text, carrying the federal construction exclusion with it. The state's general industry modifications have narrowed to a single live rule, .0103 on hazardous waste operations: the personal protective equipment amendment was repealed in 2008, the toxic and hazardous substances amendment in 2009, and the special industries amendment expired on April 1, 2016. Energy control was never among them, so 1910.147 governs here exactly as written, with the .0101 cut-off deciding which version of it.
29 CFR 1910.147 as incorporated by 13 NCAC 07F .0101The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Read in North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division's own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in North Carolina, 2024
North Carolina recorded 196 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 177 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 31 of them (16%). Construction accounted for 37.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, North Carolina, 2024
How North Carolina Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
North Carolina runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division, which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce North Carolina'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 1910.147 as incorporated by 13 NCAC 07F .0101. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.147 6 times in North Carolina construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). North Carolina applies the federal penalty maximums.
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 North Carolina 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.
HazComFast records the state of every jobsite and shows that the North Carolina State Plan governs it. Start free
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 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) |
North Carolina applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
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 North Carolina: North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division 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 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)).
North Carolina Safety & Enforcement Profile
1,610
FY2025 construction citations
North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in North Carolina, FY2025: Framing Contractors (266), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (187) and Roofing Contractors (170), out of 987 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in North Carolina, 2024: 7.9 per 100,000 full-time workers, 28th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 4.1).
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 North Carolina
Which North Carolina industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in North Carolina, not the construction trades. North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. 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 North Carolina?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in North Carolina, so the construction citation totals published for North Carolina (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 NCDOL require a written lockout/tagout program in North Carolina?
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. In North Carolina, NCDOL, the state's own OSHA program, can cite the missing program, missing machine-specific steps, or the failure to isolate stored energy before service.
Who enforces lockout/tagout (1910.147) in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL). North Carolina runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 1910.147 on private jobsites.
Can I get free OSHA help in North Carolina without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in North Carolina is Bureau of Consultative Services (North Carolina Department of Labor – OSH Division). 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 North Carolina cite 29 CFR 1910.147 in construction?
In FY2025, North Carolina Department of Labor - OSH Division cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 6 times on North Carolina construction jobsites, with $36,331 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.4% of the 1,610 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
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 North Carolina
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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