In Virginia, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) carries a maximum penalty of $16,287 per violation in 2026, rising to $162,849 for a willful or repeat violation. Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) is enforced for private construction employers by Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH). Virginia sets its own maximums, below the federal baseline.
29 CFR 1910.147 · Virginia
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Requirements in Virginia
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) in Virginia: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1910.147, 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
29 CFR 1910.147 does not apply to construction work. In Virginia, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) enforces 29 CFR 1910.147. A serious violation carries up to $16,287 in Virginia.
$16,287
maximum for a serious violation in Virginia
$162,849
maximum for a willful or repeat violation in Virginia
3.2
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries, Virginia, 2024 (BLS)
Virginia 29 CFR 1910.147 Enforcement, FY2025
Verified · 2026-08-082
citations of 29 CFR 1910.147 (FY2025)
$14,052
penalties for this standard
0.1%
of the state's 1,753 construction citations
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 2 times on Virginia construction jobsites with $14,052 in penalties for it (current amounts), about 0.1% of every construction citation the state issued that year. That put it 60th on Virginia's most-cited construction list for FY2025.
What Virginia's own rule says
Lockout/tagout is federal-identical in Virginia under VR 425-02-71, "Control of Hazardous Energy Sources", effective February 14, 1990 and amended January 15, 2012. That means the federal construction exclusion travels with it: 1910.147 does not reach construction work here any more than it does under federal jurisdiction, and hazardous-energy control on a Virginia jobsite is handled through the adopted 1926 provisions and the general duty clause in § 40.1-51.1 of the Code of Virginia.
29 CFR 1910.147 as adopted by 16VAC25-90, VR 425-02-71The 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
Contact incidents and work deaths in Virginia, 2024
Virginia recorded 137 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 117 in 2023. Contact incidents caused 21 of them (15%). Construction accounted for 37.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Virginia, 2024
How Virginia Enforces 29 CFR 1910.147
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 29 CFR 1910.147 as adopted by 16VAC25-90, VR 425-02-71. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 2 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).
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 Virginia 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 Virginia State Plan governs it. Start free
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 1910.147 (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.
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 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 1910.147 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 $16,287.
- 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)).
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).
- 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. 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 Virginia
What are the penalties for 29 CFR 1910.147 violations in Virginia in 2026?
In Virginia, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 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 industries most often face a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspection?
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) inspections reach general-industry employers in Virginia, not the construction trades. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) 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 Virginia?
29 CFR 1910.147 is enforced against general-industry employers in Virginia, so the construction citation totals published for Virginia (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 VOSH require a written lockout/tagout program in Virginia?
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 Virginia, VOSH, the state's own OSHA 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 Virginia?
VOSH, the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program. Virginia 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 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 often does Virginia cite 29 CFR 1910.147 in construction?
In FY2025, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) cited 29 CFR 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) 2 times on Virginia construction jobsites, with $14,052 in penalties for that standard alone (current amounts), about 0.1% of the 1,753 construction citations the state issued that year. (Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23; verified 2026-08-08.)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Guides & Resources
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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 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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