In South Carolina, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation in 2026, rising to $70,000 for a willful or repeat violation. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is enforced for private construction employers by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA). South Carolina sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.147 · South Carolina
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in South Carolina
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in South Carolina: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
South CarolinaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA)State-set maximums
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In South Carolina, South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) enforces 29 CFR 1910.147. A serious violation carries up to $7,000 in South Carolina.
$7,000
maximum for a serious violation in South Carolina
$70,000
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in South Carolina
4.5
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, South Carolina, 2024 (BLS)
What South Carolina's own rule says
Lockout/tagout is not among South Carolina's seven general industry modifications, so 1910.147 applies as federal text and carries its construction exclusion with it. The structural point worth carrying is that South Carolina states its departures as a closed list at the head of the subarticle: anything not named there is federal language. That makes the list itself the fastest compliance check in this state: read the seven items, and everything else is the standard you already know.
29 CFR 1910.147 as adopted by Subarticle 6The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Read in South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Contact incidents and work deaths in South Carolina, 2024
South Carolina recorded 103 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 112 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 8 of them (8%). Construction accounted for 24.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, South Carolina, 2024
How South Carolina Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
South Carolina runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce South 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 adopted by Subarticle 6. South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.147 in South Carolina construction in FY2025. South Carolina also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, below the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
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 South 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 South Carolina State Plan governs it. Start free
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 Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.147 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $7,000 | South Carolina state maximum |
| Willful | $70,000 | South Carolina state maximum |
| Repeat | $70,000 | South Carolina state maximum |
| Failure to abate | $7,000/day | South Carolina state maximum per day |
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. Amounts are ceilings per violation. South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) 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 South Carolina: South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) 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 $7,000.
- 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)).
South Carolina Safety & Enforcement Profile
191
FY2025 construction citations
South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in South Carolina, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (102), Roofing Contractors (20) and Framing Contractors (16), out of 244 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Construction fatality rate in South Carolina, 2024: 12.8 per 100,000 full-time workers, 8th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 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. 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 South Carolina
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.147 violations in South Carolina in 2026?
In South Carolina, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 carries a maximum penalty of $7,000 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $70,000. South Carolina sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. 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. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: S.C. Code §41-15-320; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which South Carolina industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in South Carolina, not the construction trades. South Carolina OSHA (SC OSHA) 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 South Carolina?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in South Carolina, so the construction citation totals published for South 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 SC OSHA require a written lockout/tagout program?
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 South Carolina, SC OSHA, the state's own 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 South Carolina?
SC OSHA, South Carolina OSHA, a division of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. South 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 South Carolina without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in South Carolina is Office of Outreach and Education/SC OSHA (South Carolina Department of Labor – Licensing and Regulation). 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.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup.
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 South 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.
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, South Carolina
$7,000
per violation (max)
VS
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.