OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Washington (2026)
Washington runs an OSHA-approved State Plan administered by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH), covering private-sector employers. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 (federal maximums).
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Washington 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 Washington federal OSHA or a state plan?
Washington runs a full OSHA-approved state plan covering private and public employers, administered by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH).
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 Washington?
Washington has its own hazard communication rule to read. OSHA lists hazard communication among this plan’s own standards, one of 10 full State Plans, out of 22. That label says a state rule exists, not what it contains: some states write a separate text, some deliver the federal text under their own numbering at fixed dates, and some add a state right-to-know layer on top of the federal standard.
Washington's substances deadline was July 20, 2026 and has already passed, four months ahead of the federal date.
Rule: WAC 296-901-14020 (WSR 26-02-011)
Washington sets one substances date for everyone (employers, manufacturers, importers and distributors alike): no later than July 20, 2026, and it has passed. Against federal that cuts both ways: it is four months earlier than the employer date (November 20, 2026) but two months later than the manufacturer date (May 19, 2026), because Washington did not split the two. Its rule was filed December 30, 2025, weeks before the federal four-month extension, and did not adopt it. Mixtures: manufacturers July 19, 2027, employers January 19, 2028.
Adoption verified 2026-08-07 against OSHA’s state-plan record. HCS 2024 deadlines by state plan.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Washington
File in Tier Two Online, through a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account; filing there also covers the SERC. Due March 1 every year.
Washington Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Washington Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Washington applies the federal amounts. 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
| 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.
Washington Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
OSHA · FY2025Construction (NAICS 23) enforcement by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) for October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025.
5,445
Construction citations
1,487
Inspections with citations
$9,323,646
Penalties (current amounts)
Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23 (Washington, FY2025).
Work fatality rates in Washington, 2024
2.8
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
6.3
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 36th highest of the 40 states BLS published
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 Washington
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Washington, the program is Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Washington Department of Labor & Industries). 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.
Washington consultation program · OSHA consultation directory
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Washington OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) (State Plan).
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) runs its own contest and review process under state law; the deadline is on the citation.
- •FY2025 enforcement: 5,445 construction citations across 1,487 inspections ($9,323,646 in penalties).
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Washington Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Washington (penalties, common violations, checklist).Where shown, citation counts are federal OSHA construction totals, national, FY2025. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) enforces its own equivalent requirements in Washington.
- 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 Washington
Inspections of construction employers opened in Washington from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 2,083 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 348 | 16.7% |
| 236115 New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | 312 | 15% |
| 236118 Residential Remodelers | 255 | 12.2% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 155 | 7.4% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 149 | 7.2% |
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 Washington
▸Is Washington a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Washington 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 Washington in 2026?
Washington applies the federal civil-penalty amounts (29 CFR 1903.15): 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 Washington have its own OSHA plan?
Yes. Washington operates a full state plan administered by Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH), 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 Washington see?
In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), OSHA construction inspections in Washington produced 5,445 citations across 1,487 inspections, with $9,323,646 in penalties at current amounts (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Construction). Because Washington runs its own State Plan, these are the state agency's own figures.
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Washington?
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. Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in Washington construction?
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) cites its own state rules, so OSHA's cited-standards tool lists its construction citations under state section numbers rather than federal CFR numbers. 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 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I DOSH) 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
$16,550
per violation (max)
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