OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in South Carolina (2026)
South Carolina runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA), covering private-sector employers. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $7,000 and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000 under the state's own maximums.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
South 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 $7,000 and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000 per violation in 2026.
29 CFR 1903.15state statute2026 amounts unchanged from 2025, with no inflation increase.
Is South Carolina federal OSHA or a state plan?
South Carolina runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA).
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 South Carolina plan works, its own standards and its HazCom rule: South Carolina State Plan guide.
Whose HazCom rule applies in South Carolina?
South Carolina takes the federal hazard communication text. It is one of 12 full State Plans that do, out of 22.
South Carolina adopts the federal standards identically and publishes them as chapter 71, article 1, subarticle 6: hazard communication is not one of the standards it writes for itself.
Rule: SC Code of Regulations ch. 71, art. 1, subart. 6 (general industry)
OSHA's South Carolina state-plan page states that "SC OSHA has identically adopted OSHA standards and regulations applicable to private sector and state and local government employment." Its unique standards are spray finishing, respiratory protection and powered industrial trucks in general industry, and excavations and general safety requirements in construction: hazard communication is not among them. South Carolina publishes its general-industry standards as Code of Regulations chapter 71, article 1, subarticle 6. This is OSHA's record of the plan rather than a quotation from the South Carolina regulation.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
South Carolina Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. South Carolina sets its own maximums (see note below). S.C. Code §41-15-320State-set figures, effective S.C. Code §41-15-320 as published by the South Carolina Legislature (read 2026-09-15).
Serious Violation
$7,000
per violation (max)
Willful / Repeat
$70,000
per violation (max)
Failure to Abate
$7,000
per day
South Carolina sets its own penalty maximums. South Carolina (S.C. Code §41-15-320) sets its own maximums and has not adopted the post-2016 federal increases: serious and other-than-serious violations up to $7,000; willful or repeat violations up to $70,000; failure to correct up to $7,000 per day.
| Violation type | Minimum | Maximum | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | State schedule | $7,000 | S.C. Code §41-15-320 |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 | $7,000 | S.C. Code §41-15-320 |
| Willful | State schedule | $70,000 | S.C. Code §41-15-320 |
| Repeated | State schedule | $70,000 | S.C. Code §41-15-320 |
| Failure to Abate | None | $7,000 / day | S.C. Code §41-15-320 |
South Carolina sets these maximums by state law; reductions for size, good faith and history follow the state agency’s own penalty policy, not the federal manual.
South Carolina Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
191
Construction citations
115
Inspections with citations
$231,408
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (South Carolina, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in South Carolina, 2024
4.5
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
12.8
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 8th 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 South Carolina
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In South Carolina, the program is Office of Outreach and Education/SC OSHA (South Carolina Department of Labor – Licensing and Regulation). 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.
South Carolina consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
South Carolina OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $7,000 serious / $70,000 willful-repeat (state-set), $7,000/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 191 construction citations across 115 inspections ($231,408 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & South Carolina Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to South Carolina (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) enforces its own equivalent requirements in South 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 South Carolina
Inspections of construction employers opened in South Carolina from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 244 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 102 | 41.8% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 20 | 8.2% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 16 | 6.6% |
| 238140 Masonry Contractors | 11 | 4.5% |
| 238210 Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 11 | 4.5% |
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 South Carolina
▸Is South Carolina a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
South 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 South Carolina in 2026?
South Carolina sets its own maximums: South Carolina (S.C. Code §41-15-320) sets its own maximums and has not adopted the post-2016 federal increases: serious and other-than-serious violations up to $7,000; willful or repeat violations up to $70,000; failure to correct up to $7,000 per day. Serious violations carry up to $7,000 each (other-than-serious the same), and Willful or Repeat violations up to $70,000 each. Failure-to-Abate runs up to $7,000 per day. These 2026 amounts are unchanged from 2025 (no inflation adjustment).
▸Does South Carolina have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. South Carolina operates a full state plan administered by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA), 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 South Carolina see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in South Carolina produced 191 citations across 115 inspections, with $231,408 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because South Carolina runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in South 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. South Carolina's state-set maximums are tracked separately by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA). Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in South Carolina construction?
South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 most often in South Carolina construction in FY2025, 37 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).
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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 South Carolina OSHA (SC 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.
Serious violation, South Carolina
$7,000
per violation (max)
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