In Rhode Island, 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.
29 CFR 1910.147 · Rhode Island
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in Rhode Island
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Rhode Island: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Rhode IslandGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)Federal OSHA Jurisdiction
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In Rhode Island, 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
1.1
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Rhode Island, 2024 (BLS)
Federal OSHA in Rhode Island: 29 CFR 1910.147, FY2025
Counted · 2026-09-261
citations of 29 CFR 1910.147 in 1 inspections
$7,260
penalties, current amounts ($7,260 as first proposed)
0.3%
of the 388 federal construction citations in Rhode Island
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 1 times in inspections of Rhode Island construction employers. It ranked 30th of the 53 standards cited in them. By classification: 1 serious. Most-cited paragraphs: 1910.147(c)(1) (1).
NAICS 23 classifies the employer, not the work. 29 CFR 1910.147 does not govern construction work, so these citations do not measure what happens on construction jobsites.
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
What federal OSHA is targeting in Rhode Island
Rhode Island 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.
Local Emphasis Program for the Seafood Processing Industry
CPL-04-00-026 · Boston Regional Office · effective June 1, 2023
“This instruction covers Region I and includes employers under Federal OSHA jurisdiction only.”
Seafood processing is targeted by NAICS 311710, 311711 and 311712, plus 424460 for fish and seafood merchant wholesalers, and the directive names the hazards it goes after: machine guarding, lockout/tagout, confined space, and the ammonia refrigeration systems that run the plant. It records why: exposure to ammonia and cooling system hazards produced three general duty clause violations in the region, one willful serious and two repeat serious, plus a hazard alert letter. Anhydrous ammonia is what ties this to hazard communication as well as to confined-space entry.
Contact incidents and work deaths in Rhode Island, 2024
Rhode Island recorded 6 fatal work injuries in 2024, the same as in 2023. BLS did not publish a separate 2024 count of deaths from contact incidents for Rhode Island.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Rhode Island, 2024
How Rhode Island Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
Rhode Island has no State Plan, so federal OSHA has jurisdiction. 29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced by U.S. Department of Labor compliance officers using standard federal procedures and 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 Rhode Island 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.
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 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) |
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; Rhode Island has no State Plan.
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)).
Rhode Island Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
388 of them in Rhode Island (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Rhode Island, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (35), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (30) and Residential Remodelers (26), out of 183 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Fatal injury rate in Rhode Island, 2024: 1.1 per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries. BLS did not publish a 2024 construction rate here.
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 Rhode Island
Which Rhode Island industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in Rhode Island, not the construction trades. Federal OSHA inspects these employers directly, since Rhode Island has no state plan covering the private sector. 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 Rhode Island?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in Rhode Island, so the construction citation totals published for Rhode Island (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.
Who enforces lockout/tagout in Rhode Island?
Federal OSHA, not a state agency. Rhode Island has no state plan, so federal compliance officers from OSHA's Boston region inspect and cite 1910.147.
Can I get free OSHA help in Rhode Island without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Rhode Island is Work Safer R.I. Consultation Program, Office of Healthy Homes and Environment (Rhode Island Department of Health). 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 federal OSHA cite 29 CFR 1910.147 in Rhode Island construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 1 times in 1 inspections of Rhode Island construction employers, with $7,260 in penalties at current amounts ($7,260 as first proposed), 0.3% of the 388 citations those inspections produced. It ranked 30th of the 53 standards cited. NAICS 23 classifies the employer, not the work: 29 CFR 1910.147 does not govern construction work itself. (HazComFast count from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, retrieved 2026-09-26.)
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 Rhode Island
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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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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