OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Vermont (2026)
Vermont runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA), covering private-sector employers. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514; the federal maximums shown are the at-least-as-effective floor, since the state sets its own on its own schedule.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Vermont 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 $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 Vermont federal OSHA or a state plan?
Vermont runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA).
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.
Whose HazCom rule applies in Vermont?
Vermont takes the federal hazard communication text. It is one of 12 full State Plans that do, out of 22.
Vermont incorporates federal standards chapter by chapter and writes only two of its own: PELs and lineworker safety. Hazard communication has no Vermont chapter, so the federal text governs.
Rule: Code Vt. R. 24-050: chapter-by-chapter incorporation
OSHA's Vermont state-plan page records that "VOSHA has adopted OSHA standards by reference; in addition, there are two unique standards currently in effect": permissible exposure limits and lineworker safety. Vermont builds its rules as topic-by-topic chapters under Code Vt. R. 24-050, each incorporating an individual federal standard by reference (welding, respiratory protection, laboratory chemicals, fall protection, confined spaces, steel erection). Hazard communication has no chapter of its own, consistent with it not being one of the two unique standards. This is OSHA's record of the plan rather than a quotation from a Vermont rule.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Vermont
Vermont requires the current year's Tier2 Submit software; the 2025 report was filed between January 1 and March 1, 2026.
Vermont Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Vermont Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Vermont sets its own maximums on its own schedule; the federal amounts below are the at-least-as-effective floor (see note). 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
Vermont sets its own penalty maximums. Vermont sets its own maximums under 21 V.S.A. §210. The amounts written into the statute are the federal 2017 base (willful or repeat not more than $126,749 and not less than $5,000; serious and other-than-serious up to $12,675; failure to abate up to $12,675 for each day it continues; posting up to $12,675), and §210(a)(9) has the Commissioner adjust them on the CPI-U and publish the result on or before January 1 each year. The latest table on VOSHA's penalty page (read October 2, 2026) is its 2024 adjustment, effective February 1, 2024: serious up to $16,131 and willful up to $161,323. The page shows no 2025 or 2026 table, so the federal maximums shown here are the upper bound a Vermont employer should plan against. Whatever the year's figure, §210(a)(4) sets failure to abate at the serious rate per day, not at the willful ceiling.
| 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.
Vermont Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
91
Construction citations
31
Inspections with citations
$224,778
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (Vermont, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in Vermont, 2024
2.2
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 Vermont
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Vermont, the program is Project WorkSAFE (Vermont Department of Labor). 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.
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Vermont OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal floor; state sets its own), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 91 construction citations across 31 inspections ($224,778 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Vermont Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Vermont (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) enforces its own equivalent requirements in Vermont.
- 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 Vermont
Inspections of construction employers opened in Vermont from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 57 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 13 | 22.8% |
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 7 | 12.3% |
| 237310 Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 5 | 8.8% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 5 | 8.8% |
| 238910 Site Preparation Contractors | 5 | 8.8% |
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 Vermont
▸Is Vermont a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Vermont 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 Vermont in 2026?
Vermont sets its own maximums: Vermont sets its own maximums under 21 V.S.A. §210. The amounts written into the statute are the federal 2017 base (willful or repeat not more than $126,749 and not less than $5,000; serious and other-than-serious up to $12,675; failure to abate up to $12,675 for each day it continues; posting up to $12,675), and §210(a)(9) has the Commissioner adjust them on the CPI-U and publish the result on or before January 1 each year. The latest table on VOSHA's penalty page (read October 2, 2026) is its 2024 adjustment, effective February 1, 2024: serious up to $16,131 and willful up to $161,323. The page shows no 2025 or 2026 table, so the federal maximums shown here are the upper bound a Vermont employer should plan against. Whatever the year's figure, §210(a)(4) sets failure to abate at the serious rate per day, not at the willful ceiling. 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 Vermont have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. Vermont operates a full state plan administered by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA), 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 Vermont see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in Vermont produced 91 citations across 31 inspections, with $224,778 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because Vermont runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Vermont?
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. Vermont's state-set maximums are tracked separately by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA). Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in Vermont construction?
In FY2025 construction, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 16 times and 29 CFR 1926.451 16 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 Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) before relying on them.
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, federal maximum
$16,550
per violation (max)
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