In Vermont, HazCom / GHS is enforced for private construction employers by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA). Vermont sets its own penalty maximums under 21 V.S.A. §210, adjusted each year; this page does not reproduce the current state table. For reference, the federal maximums are $16,550 for a serious violation and $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation.
29 CFR 1910.1200 · Vermont
HazCom / GHS Requirements in Vermont
HazCom / GHS in Vermont: 2026 penalties, who enforces VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
VermontGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 to Vermont construction employers in FY2025: on this subject the state enforces VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A, which differs from the federal text.
0
1910.1200 citations in Vermont construction, FY2025
(e)(1)
paragraph federal OSHA cited most nationwide (262 citations)
2.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Vermont, 2024 (BLS)
What Vermont's own rule says
Two things are worth knowing about hazard communication in Vermont. First, where the rule lives: VOSHA publishes each adopted standard as an annotated and a clean-text document on the Department of Labor's own site rather than in a state administrative code chapter, so the clean text is the operative wording to work from. Second, what it says about timing: the adopted hazard communication clean text is the GHS Revision 7 version, and its paragraph (j) carries the original compliance dates (January 19, 2026 for manufacturers evaluating substances and July 20, 2026 for employers, July 19, 2027 and January 19, 2028 for mixtures) not the four-month extension OSHA made in January 2026.
VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-AThe duty itself differs from the federal text.
Read in Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-09
Harmful exposures and work deaths in Vermont, 2024
Vermont recorded 8 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 16 in 2023. Exposure to harmful substances or environments caused 2 of them (25%). Construction accounted for 1.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Vermont, 2024
How Vermont Enforces HazCom / GHS
Vermont runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Vermont OSHA (VOSHA), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Vermont's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A, which differs from the federal text (see the state rule above). Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 in Vermont construction in FY2025. Vermont sets its own civil-penalty maximums under 21 V.S.A. §210.
A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
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.
Federal Penalty Amounts, for Reference (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) |
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. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Filing Tier II in Vermont
The chemical list your HazCom program keeps is also what EPA's Tier II inventory is built from. Here is what Vermont Emergency Management says about filing it:
- Vermont requires the current year's Tier2 Submit software; the 2025 report was filed between January 1 and March 1, 2026.
HazComFast keeps each jobsite's chemical quantities next to its safety data sheets and exports the Tier II data as an Excel workbook, a CSV file and a PDF summary.
Key HazCom / GHS Requirements Under the Federal Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200
- Maintain a written HazCom program
- Keep SDS accessible for every hazardous chemical
- Ensure containers have GHS-compliant labels
- Train employees on chemical hazards
- Maintain a chemical inventory list
- Update to GHS Rev 7 by 2026 deadlines
Who enforces it in Vermont: Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) 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 1910.1200 are on the 29 CFR 1910.1200 page.
HazCom / GHS Citations in Vermont, FY2025
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 to Vermont construction employers in FY2025. On this subject the state's rule is VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A. For reference, the paragraphs federal OSHA cited most nationwide:
Federal OSHA, construction, FY2025: 698 citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200.
- 1
1910.1200(e)(1) 262 citations
“Employers shall develop, implement, and maintain at each workplace, a written hazard communication program which at least describes how the criteria specified in paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) …”
- 2
1910.1200(h)(1) 167 citations
“Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical …”
- 3
1910.1200(g)(8) 108 citations
“The employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each …”
- 4
1910.1200(g)(1) 78 citations
“Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. Employers shall have a safety data sheet in …”
- 5
1910.1200(e)(1)(i) 21 citations
“A list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present using a product identifier that is referenced on the appropriate safety data sheet (the list may be compiled …”
- 6
1910.1200(h)(3)(i) 8 citations
“Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area (such as monitoring conducted by the employer, …”
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: every federal OSHA citation issued in FY2025 to a construction employer (NAICS 23), by the paragraph cited. Paragraph text: eCFR, current as of September 24, 2026. data.dol.gov
Vermont Safety & Enforcement Profile
91
FY2025 construction citations
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Vermont, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (13), Roofing Contractors (7) and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (5), out of 57 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Fatal injury rate in Vermont, 2024: 2.2 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 HazCom / GHS Compliance Tools
HazCom / GHS FAQ for Vermont
What are the penalties for HazCom / GHS violations in Vermont in 2026?
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. For reference, the federal maximums are $16,550 for a serious violation and $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: 21 V.S.A. §210; 29 CFR 1903.15(d); verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Vermont construction trades are inspected most?
The construction trades inspected most in Vermont in FY2025 were Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (13), Roofing Contractors (7) and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (5), out of 57 inspections opened, federal OSHA and State Plan combined (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued no citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 to Vermont construction employers that year. Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. For context, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued 91 construction citations across 31 inspections in FY2025. Companies in these trades should self-audit against VOSHA adopted rules: hazard communication clean text, with Vermont's own Table Z-1-A, Vermont's own rule on this subject.
How often is HazCom / GHS cited on Vermont jobsites?
In FY2025, Vermont's state plan (Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)) issued 91 construction citations across 31 inspections (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23). HazCom / GHS can be cited during any of them: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Vermont's fatality figures are shown above.
Who enforces Hazard Communication (1910.1200) in Vermont?
VOSHA, the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration, run jointly by the Departments of Labor and Health, not federal OSHA. Vermont runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer enforces 1910.1200 across general industry and construction. In federal construction inspections in FY2025, the HazCom paragraphs cited most were (e)(1), the written program; (h)(1), training; and (g)(8), SDS access.
Can I get free OSHA help in Vermont without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Vermont is Project WorkSAFE (Vermont Department of Labor). 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 do I file the EPCRA Tier II chemical inventory in Vermont?
Vermont requires the current year's Tier2 Submit software; the 2025 report was filed between January 1 and March 1, 2026.
HazCom / GHS Guides & Resources
Compare this combination against any other state and standard with the enforcement risk lookup, or read the HazCom Enforcement Report for the national picture.
Related standards
HazCom / GHS in Other States
18 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1910.1200 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska8 AAC 61.1110 (physical agent data sheets), with the adoption at 8 AAC 61.1010(b)ArizonaA.A.C. R20-5-602California8 CCR §5194 (Proposition 65 integration at §5194(f)(6))own maxHawaiiHAR §12-60-50(a) and §12-60-50(d)(3), with Exhibits A and BIndiana610 IAC 9-2-8(b), term substitutions applying to everything Indiana incorporatesown maxIowa481—210.4(88), with 481—210.2(88) on incorporated standardsKentucky803 KAR 2:320, Section 6 (Subpart Z), with Kentucky's own MOCA standard at Section 2own maxMarylandCOMAR 09.12.31.01 GGown max
Other OSHA Standards in Vermont
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, federal maximum
$16,550
per violation (max)
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