OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Rhode Island (2026)
Rhode Island is under federal OSHA jurisdiction, with no State Plan. 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
Rhode Island is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly. 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 Rhode Island federal OSHA or a state plan?
Rhode Island is a federal OSHA state. It has no approved state plan, so federal OSHA enforces directly.
Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
Rhode Island Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
DOL data · counted 2026-09-26Federal OSHA inspections of Rhode Island construction employers (NAICS 23), October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break federal-OSHA states out; these are HazComFast's counts from the Labor Department's enforcement data.
388
Construction citations
128
Inspections with citations
$954,468
Penalties (current amounts); $1,243,970 as first proposed
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). data.dol.gov National reference: 26,559 federal construction citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, FY2025).
What federal OSHA cites most in Rhode Island construction
The ten standards cited most often in federal OSHA inspections of Rhode Island construction employers, FY2025 (388 citations across 53 standards). Section titles are the official eCFR headings.
| Rank | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1903.19 Abatement verification | 58 | 14.9% |
| #2 | 1926.501 Duty to have fall protectionSubpart M: Fall Protection | 50 | 12.9% |
| #3 | 1926.1053 LaddersSubpart X: Stairways and Ladders | 45 | 11.6% |
| #4 | 1926.503 Training requirementsSubpart M: Fall Protection | 38 | 9.8% |
| #5 | 1926.451 General requirementsSubpart L: Scaffolds | 24 | 6.2% |
| #6 | 1910.134 Respiratory protectionSubpart I: Personal Protective Equipment | 22 | 5.7% |
| #7 | 1926.102 Eye and face protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 14 | 3.6% |
| #8 | 1926.1153 Respirable crystalline silicaSubpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances | 11 | 2.8% |
| #9 | 1926.100 Head protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 10 | 2.6% |
| #9 | 1926.403 General requirementsSubpart K: Electrical | 10 | 2.6% |
How Rhode Island compares with federal OSHA nationwide
3.03
citations per inspection (national: 2.46)
2.6%
of citations classified repeat (national: 8.7%); 6 willful
−23.3%
penalties now vs. as first proposed (national: −22.5%)
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). Classifications and penalty amounts are as recorded to date; open cases can still change them. data.dol.gov
Work fatality rates in Rhode Island, 2024
1.1
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
Not published
BLS did not publish a construction rate for this state in 2024
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 Rhode Island
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Rhode Island, the program is Work Safer R.I. Consultation Program, Office of Healthy Homes and Environment (Rhode Island Department of Health). 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.
Rhode Island consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Providence Area Office (Providence).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Rhode Island OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Federal OSHA, no State Plan.
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: under 29 CFR 1903.17(a), the notice of contest must be postmarked within 15 working days of receiving the citation and proposed penalty.
- •Federal FY2025: 388 construction citations in Rhode Island across 128 inspections ($954,468 in penalties, HazComFast count); 26,559 nationwide.
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Rhode Island Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Rhode Island (penalties, common violations, checklist).The first count is federal OSHA's in Rhode Island (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data); the second, where shown, is the national federal construction total from OSHA's tool, FY2025. These apply directly to private construction in Rhode Island.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.50150 federal citations in Rhode Island · #2 there · FY20256,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.12003 federal citations in Rhode Island · #19 there · FY2025698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.105345 federal citations in Rhode Island · #3 there · FY20252,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.45124 federal citations in Rhode Island · #5 there · FY20252,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.13422 federal citations in Rhode Island · #6 there · FY2025
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)29 CFR 1910.1471 federal citations in Rhode Island · #30 there · FY2025
- Forklifts29 CFR 1910.1786 federal citations in Rhode Island · #16 there · FY2025
- Stairways (Construction)29 CFR 1926.1052
- PPE General Requirements29 CFR 1910.132
- Confined Spaces29 CFR 1910.146
Construction trades inspected most in Rhode Island
Inspections of construction employers opened in Rhode Island from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 183 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 35 | 19.1% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 30 | 16.4% |
| 236118 Residential Remodelers | 26 | 14.2% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 11 | 6% |
| 238990 All Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 11 | 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 Rhode Island
▸Is Rhode Island a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Rhode Island is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in Rhode Island in 2026?
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island have its own OSHA plan?
No. Rhode Island has no state plan (federal OSHA); federal OSHA enforces all covered employers and the federal penalty amounts apply.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does Rhode Island see?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break out federal-OSHA states like Rhode Island, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do. In FY2025, federal OSHA inspections of Rhode Island construction employers produced 388 citations across 128 inspections, with $954,468 in penalties at current amounts ($1,243,970 as first proposed). That is a HazComFast count; nationally, federal OSHA construction inspections produced 26,559 citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23).
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1903.19 (Abatement verification) most often in Rhode Island construction, 58 times, followed by 29 CFR 1926.501 (50) and 29 CFR 1926.1053 (45) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). 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 OSHA 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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