In Vermont, Fall Protection 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 1926.501 · Vermont
Fall Protection Requirements in Vermont
Fall Protection in Vermont: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1926.501, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
VermontConstruction (29 CFR 1926)State Plan: Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)
In FY2025, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 16 times in Vermont construction (17.6% of its construction citations there). The paragraph cited most was 1926.501(b)(1), unprotected sides and edges, with 6 citations.
16
1926.501 citations in Vermont construction, FY2025
(b)(1)
paragraph cited most in Vermont (6 citations)
2.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Vermont, 2024 (BLS)
Vermont 29 CFR 1926.501 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-0816
citations of 29 CFR 1926.501 (FY2025)
$102,372
penalties for this standard
17.6%
of the state's 91 construction citations
In FY2025, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 16 times on Vermont construction jobsites with $102,372 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 17.6% of every construction citation the state issued that year.
What Vermont's own rule says
Fall protection is adopted federal text in Vermont. VOSHA does publish an amendments document for the steel erection rule, and reading it is instructive. The thresholds are the federal ones: protection at more than 15 feet on an unprotected side or edge, connectors from more than two stories or 30 feet, perimeter safety cables on multi-story structures, and a planked or decked floor or nets kept within two stories or 30 feet below the erection work. Vermont republishes the subpart rather than rewriting it, which is the pattern across its rule set.
29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by VOSHA, with the steel erection amendments published separatelyThe duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Read in Vermont OSHA (VOSHA)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-09
Falls and work deaths in Vermont, 2024
Vermont recorded 8 fatal work injuries in 2024, down from 16 in 2023. BLS did not publish a separate 2024 count of deaths from falls, slips and trips for Vermont. Construction accounted for 1.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Vermont, 2024
How Vermont Enforces 29 CFR 1926.501
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 29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by VOSHA, with the steel erection amendments published separately. Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 16 times in Vermont construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Vermont sets its own civil-penalty maximums under 21 V.S.A. §210.
In Vermont, the FY2025 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 went most often to Roofing Contractors (8) and Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (4). A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against 29 CFR 1926.501, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
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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.
Key Fall Protection Requirements 29 CFR 1926.501
- Provide fall protection at 6 feet above a lower level: a guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest system
- Protect workers at unprotected sides/edges, leading edges, hoist areas, ramps, and excavation edges (1926.501(b))
- Cover or guard every floor hole and skylight: protection from falling through above 6 ft, and from stepping in at any height
- Related duties under neighboring standards: system criteria 1926.502, training 1926.503, scaffold fall protection 1926.451(g)
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 1926.501 are on the 29 CFR 1926.501 page.
Most-Cited Fall Protection Paragraphs in Vermont, FY2025
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued 16 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Vermont construction employers in FY2025. The paragraphs cited most, with the official text. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- 1
1926.501(b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. 6 citations
“Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level …”
- 2
1926.501(b)(13) Residential construction. 5 citations
“Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall …”
- 3
1926.501(b)(11) Steep roofs. 3 citations
“Each employee on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems …”
- 4
1926.501(b)(10) Roofing work on Low-slope roofs. 2 citations
“Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each employee engaged in roofing activities on low-slope roofs, with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) …”
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (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).
- Cited most under 29 CFR 1926.501 in Vermont, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (8), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (4) and New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (2), of 16 citations.
- 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. HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (NAICS 23), grouped by the cited 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 Fall Protection Compliance Tools
Fall Protection FAQ for Vermont
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1926.501 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 cited most under Fall Protection?
In FY2025, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) issued 16 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Vermont construction employers, most often to Roofing Contractors (8), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (4) and New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (2) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data, by the cited employer's NAICS industry). 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 29 CFR 1926.501 on a recurring basis.
How often is Fall Protection 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). Fall Protection can be cited during any of them: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Vermont's fatality figures are shown above.
Who enforces fall protection (1926.501) on Vermont construction sites?
VOSHA, the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration, run jointly by the Department of Labor and Department of Health, not federal OSHA. Vermont runs a full OSHA-approved State Plan, so a state compliance officer inspects and cites 29 CFR 1926.501, 16 times in FY2025 construction.
How much did VOSHA assess for fall protection in FY2025?
VOSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 16 times in Vermont construction in FY2025, with $102,372 in penalties at current amounts, about $6,398 per citation (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). It cited scaffolding (1926.451) as often, 16 times.
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 often does Vermont cite 29 CFR 1926.501 in construction?
In FY2025, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 16 times on Vermont construction jobsites, with $102,372 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 17.6% of the 91 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
Fall Protection Guides & Resources
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Related standards
Fall Protection in Other States
14 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1926.501 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by 8 AAC 61.1010(c), with 8 AAC 61.1150 for steel erectionCalifornia8 CCR §1670(a), with §1621(a) for railings and §1730 for roofingown maxHawaiiHAR §12-110-3, with the definition of "infeasible" at §12-110-50(b)(1)Kentucky803 KAR 2:412own maxMaryland29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07own maxMichiganMIOSHA Construction Safety Standard Part 45, R 408.44501 to R 408.44502own maxMinnesota29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by Minn. R. 5205.0010, subp. 6, with Minn. R. 5207.0250NevadaNRS 618.983 and NRS 618.987 (mandatory OSHA-10 and OSHA-30)
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.
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Serious violation, federal maximum
$16,550
per violation (max)
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