In Virginia, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.1200 (HazCom / GHS) carries a maximum penalty of $16,287 per violation in 2026, rising to $162,849 for a willful or repeat violation. HazCom / GHS is enforced for private construction employers by Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH). Virginia sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.1200 · Virginia
HazCom / GHS Requirements in Virginia
HazCom / GHS in Virginia: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.1200, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
VirginiaGeneral Industry (29 CFR 1910)State Plan: Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH)State-set maximums
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.1200 41 times in Virginia construction (2.3% of its construction citations there, the 12th most-cited standard there). The paragraph cited most was 1910.1200(e)(1) with 22 citations.
41
1910.1200 citations in Virginia construction, FY2025
(e)(1)
paragraph cited most in Virginia (22 citations)
13.6
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, Virginia, 2024 (BLS)
Virginia 29 CFR 1910.1200 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-0841
citations of 29 CFR 1910.1200 (FY2025)
$22,093
penalties for this standard
2.3%
of the state's 1,753 construction citations
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.1200 (HazCom / GHS) 41 times on Virginia construction jobsites with $22,093 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 2.3% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 12th on Virginia's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Virginia's own rule says
Virginia keeps hazard communication under its own designation (the VA Hazard Communication Standard, VR 425-02-01) and its adoption history is longer than the federal standard's reach: first effective October 5, 1984, before the federal rule extended beyond manufacturing. The GHS 2024 amendments came in on November 20, 2024 (VA.R. 41:5) with a further amendment on July 30, 2025 (VA.R. 41:23), both carried through Appendices A to D. Virginia's Safety and Health Codes Board has to act to take up a federal change, so the adoption table, not osha.gov, is the record of what is in force here, and it shows no amendment to 1910.1200 after July 30, 2025.
VA Hazard Communication Standard, VR 425-02-01, at 16VAC25-90-1910.1200The duty matches the federal text. Only the citation number differs.
Read in Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH)'s own rule text · verified 2026-08-08
Harmful exposures and work deaths in Virginia, 2024
Virginia recorded 137 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 117 in 2023. Exposure to harmful substances or environments caused 16 of them (12%). Construction accounted for 37.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Virginia, 2024
How Virginia Enforces 29 CFR 1910.1200
Virginia runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH), which covers private-sector construction. Its compliance officers enforce Virginia's own standards, which must be at least as effective as federal OSHA's and may go further. On this subject the rule is VA Hazard Communication Standard, VR 425-02-01, at 16VAC25-90-1910.1200. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.1200 41 times in Virginia construction in FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards). Virginia also sets its own civil-penalty maximums, below the federal baseline (see the penalty table below).
In Virginia, the FY2025 citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 went most often to Masonry Contractors (7) and Roofing Contractors (7). A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against 29 CFR 1910.1200, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
Help and oversight in Virginia
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Virginia, the program is Occupational Safety and Health – Training and Consultation (Virginia Department of Labor & Industry). 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.
Virginia Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1910.1200 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,287 | Virginia state maximum |
| Willful | $162,849 | Virginia state maximum |
| Repeat | $162,849 | Virginia state maximum |
| Failure to abate | State schedule | Virginia publishes its own failure-to-abate amount; see the state schedule |
Virginia (Code of Virginia §40.1-49.4) sets its own maximums, CPI-adjusted each August 1 and running slightly below federal: serious up to $16,287; willful/repeat up to $162,849 (willful minimum $10,000). Amounts are ceilings per violation. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) computes proposed penalties under its own State Plan procedures.
Filing Tier II in Virginia
The chemical list your HazCom program keeps is also what EPA's Tier II inventory is built from. Here is what Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says about filing it:
- Save the report in Tier2 Submit as a .t2s file and email it to va-epcra@deq.virginia.gov with a signed certification letter.
- Due March 1 every year.
- Virginia charges nothing for Tier II.
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 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 Virginia: Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) inspects private employers, construction included, under an OSHA-approved State Plan. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) 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.
Most-Cited HazCom / GHS Paragraphs in Virginia, FY2025
Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) issued 41 citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 to Virginia construction employers in FY2025. The paragraphs cited most, with the official text. A serious violation carries up to $16,287.
- 1
1910.1200(e)(1) 22 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) 10 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) 6 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(e)(1)(i) 2 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 …”
- 5
1910.1200(g)(1) 1 citation
“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 …”
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
Virginia Safety & Enforcement Profile
1,753
FY2025 construction citations
Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH)
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Virginia, FY2025: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (210), Roofing Contractors (156) and Framing Contractors (105), out of 1,222 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Cited most under 29 CFR 1910.1200 in Virginia, FY2025: Masonry Contractors (7), Roofing Contractors (7) and Residential Remodelers (6), of 41 citations.
- Construction fatality rate in Virginia, 2024: 13.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, 6th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 3.2).
- 2026 legislation directs Virginia's Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt indoor and outdoor heat illness standards by May 1, 2028. (HB 1092 / SB 288 (2026 session), signed April 13, 2026)
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 HazCom / GHS Compliance Tools
HazCom / GHS FAQ for Virginia
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.1200 violations in Virginia in 2026?
In Virginia, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.1200 carries a maximum penalty of $16,287 per violation, and a willful or repeat violation up to $162,849. Virginia sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline. Virginia (Code of Virginia §40.1-49.4) sets its own maximums, CPI-adjusted each August 1 and running slightly below federal: serious up to $16,287; willful/repeat up to $162,849 (willful minimum $10,000). Each distinct violation can be cited as its own item. (Source: Va. Code §40.1-49.4; verified 2026-10-05.)
Which Virginia construction trades are cited most under HazCom / GHS?
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) issued 41 citations under 29 CFR 1910.1200 to Virginia construction employers, most often to Masonry Contractors (7), Roofing Contractors (7) and Residential Remodelers (6) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data, by the cited employer's NAICS industry). Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) inspects these employers directly and may apply requirements beyond the federal standard. For context, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) issued 1,753 construction citations across 517 inspections in FY2025. Companies in these trades should self-audit against 29 CFR 1910.1200 on a recurring basis.
How often is HazCom / GHS cited on Virginia jobsites?
In FY2025, Virginia's state plan (Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH)) issued 1,753 construction citations across 517 inspections (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23). HazCom / GHS can be cited during any of them: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Virginia's fatality figures are shown above.
Who enforces Hazard Communication (1910.1200) in Virginia?
VOSH, the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program, not federal OSHA. Virginia 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 Virginia without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Virginia is Occupational Safety and Health – Training and Consultation (Virginia Department of Labor & Industry). 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 Virginia?
Save the report in Tier2 Submit as a .t2s file and email it to va-epcra@deq.virginia.gov with a signed certification letter. Due March 1 every year. Virginia charges nothing for Tier II.
How often does Virginia cite 29 CFR 1910.1200 in construction?
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.1200 (HazCom / GHS) 41 times on Virginia construction jobsites, with $22,093 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 2.3% of the 1,753 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
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
19 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 Virginia
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, Virginia
$16,287
per violation (max)
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