The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established to help standardize safety measures and reduce the risks of worker injury or death.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses have generally declined over time, reflecting the impact of clearer standards and enforcement in many industries.
While the primary role of OSHA is providing clear and actionable safety strategies, enforcement is sometimes required to ensure companies comply with regulations. This enforcement typically begins with an audit. If businesses are found to violate OSHA standards, they’re given the chance to remediate identified issues.
If non-compliance persists, OSHA may move on to the next step of enforcement: fines. These fines can be significant; one published roundup of major 2025 enforcement actions reported a top penalty exceeding $1.2 million. To ensure worker safety and avoid OSHA citations, manufacturers need a proactive—not reactive—approach to compliance, and maintenance is the first step in this proactive process.
Read on to learn more about the common types of OSHA violations, their associated fines and how the right maintenance strategy can set companies up for safety standards success.
What is OSHA and how does enforcement work?
OSHA was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, and the agency opened its doors in 1971. Over the next few years, OSHA created operational standards and procedures for the use of asbestos, lead, carcinogens and cotton dust. In the 1980s, a U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirmed workers’ right to refuse unsafe tasks led to the creation of OSHA standards that gave workers the right to information about possible chemical exposures and other risks.
As OSHA enforcement evolved, standards like Process Safety Management (PSM), expanded construction safety regulations and formal inspection and penalty systems—making it harder for gaps in maintenance practices or documentation to go unnoticed. OSHA compliance also helps companies meet the objectives of other guidance frameworks, such as ISO standards and good manufacturing practices (GMPs).
The OSHA inspection process
OSHA inspections may be programmed or unprogrammed.
Programmed inspections target high-hazard workplaces. The selection of inspection sites is randomized to limit the risk of bias and helps OSHA prioritize industries with higher risk.
Unprogrammed inspections occur in response to dangerous conditions, fatalities, complaints or referrals.
The on-site OSHA inspection process has five steps:
1. Initial meeting
2. Walkaround inspection
3. Employee interviews
4. Document reviews
5. Closing meeting
Depending on the type and severity of safety issues discovered, the OSHA inspector may issue citations and proposed penalties. Companies are given an abatement period to address the issues, and OSHA will follow up to confirm that violations have been addressed.
Types of OSHA violations
There are four types of OSHA violations. Fines vary based on the severity of the risk, along with the intent of the organization. For example, a company that is unaware of an existing, low-severity risk may face only a small fine and may have this fine lifted if they act quickly to abate the issue.
In contrast, organizations with a history of unresolved or repeat violations are more likely to face escalating penalties.
The types of OSHA violations are:
- Serious ($16,550 per violation): Serious violation fines are issued when a business is aware of a hazard that could cause serious injury or death but has not addressed the situation.
- Other-than-Serious ($16,550 per violation): Other-than-serious violations, also called de minimis violations, may put employee safety at risk, but to a lesser degree. For example, failure to post adequate safety signage might be deemed an other-than-serious risk.
- Failure to Abate ($16,550 per day beyond the abatement date): If cited hazards are not corrected within the required timeframe, penalties can continue to accrue—resulting in an OSHA penalty of up to $16,550 per day until the issue is resolved.
- Willful or Repeated ($165,514 per violation): OSHA inspectors can also issue fines for willful or repeated violations. Willful violations are those that occur despite the business being aware of the potential safety risks. Fines for repeated violations can occur when businesses have been cited for a risk and do not correct it, or if inspections discover a similar violation upon a subsequent inspection.
OSHA fine amounts and penalty ranges
As noted above, different violation types carry different fine amounts.
The size of fines for OSHA violations is determined by factors including the type of incident, the number of times the incident has occurred and the behavior of the organization.
For example, a company fined for a first-time posting requirements violation will likely receive less than the maximum penalty of $16,550, especially if they move quickly to remediate the issue. A manufacturer that has been repeatedly cited for serious violations and willfully disobeys requirements to improve safety, meanwhile, may face the maximum penalty.
It’s also important to note that penalties can change over time. OSHA typically reassesses the value of fines each year, and they generally trend upward.
Common OSHA violations in manufacturing and maintenance
While OSHA regulations cover a wide range of industries, some violations are more common in manufacturing and maintenance. They include:
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO) violations: If maintenance teams do not fully isolate machine energy sources before work begins—especially during troubleshooting or non-routine repairs—lockout/tagout violations are more likely.
- Machine guarding deficiencies: Failure to provide protective guards or barriers on production line equipment may result in machine guarding fines.
- Electrical safety violations: Common examples of electrical safety violations include frayed cords or connections or overloaded electrical infrastructure that could lead to fires.
- Fall protection issues: Fall protection includes signage, personal protective equipment (PPE), clear documentation around work expectations and standard operating procedures.
- Hazard communication (HAZCOM) failures: For staff to avoid safety risks, communication is key. Failure to inform workers or make them fully aware of possible risks can lead to HAZCOM fines.
- Confined space violations: Many manufacturing operations take place in confined spaces. Here, issues such as ventilation, temperature and duration of confined space operations must be strictly controlled to avoid potential fines.
How maintenance activities increase OSHA risk
All manufacturing and industrial activities carry a level of risk. Maintenance activities, however, often come with increased risk. Factors that make maintenance more hazardous include:
- Working on energized or moving equipment
- Conducting non-routine or emergency repairs
- Inadequate procedures or industrial maintenance training
- Time pressure during breakdowns
- Higher exposure to safety incidents
As a result, it’s important for businesses to evaluate current industrial maintenance safety practices and identify areas of potential risk.
The hidden costs of OSHA violations
While the monetary cost of OSHA fines can limit business profitability, these civil penalties are only part of the true cost.
For example, OSHA investigations may require production downtime, so auditors can fully examine and evaluate manufacturing processes. If violations are identified, companies may face increased insurance and workers’ compensation costs, along with the costs of legal advice and corrective actions.
In addition, repeated OSHA violations may damage companies’ public reputation and reduce employee trust, in turn leading to lower morale and productivity.
How OSHA violations impact operational performance
Unsafe environments can lead to unplanned downtime if workers are injured or become ill. Reactive emergency repairs increase risk exposure for maintenance staff, and poor safety culture undermines both discipline and consistency.
Strong workplace safety practices help support stable and reliable operations. By regularly evaluating possible risks and putting processes in place to reduce these risks, companies can minimize the likelihood and impact of OSHA non-compliance.
Proactive maintenance and safety practices to reduce risk
Proactive maintenance strategies can help reduce the risk of OSHA violations. By seeking out potential risks rather than waiting for them to occur, manufacturers can address and eliminate many OSHA issues before they’re part of programmed or unprogrammed audits.
Effective practices include:
- Standardized safety protocols and work instructions
- Proper lockout and tagout procedures
- Preventive maintenance to reduce emergency work
- Training and competency development
- Clear documentation and accountability
Preparing for OSHA inspections and audits
Preparing for OSHA inspections and audits starts with creating and maintaining up-to-date safety documentation, which helps track current practices and helps ensure accurate record-keeping.
Next is conducting internal safety audits to identify possible areas of non-compliance and ensuring that the processes created to address these areas match actual practice. Finally, it’s important to train employees on both inspection and reporting protocols so they can notify team leaders of any potential violations.
OSHA compliance protects people, performance and business
OSHA compliance isn’t just about avoiding fines. It’s about protecting the people who make your business run and ensuring that operational performance meets output expectations.
Improved safety leads to benefits including increased equipment reliability, enhanced cost control and reduced risks of unplanned downtime. By creating maintenance strategies that combine prevention and preparedness, companies are better prepared to avoid OSHA fines.
If you’re strengthening inspection readiness or reducing high-risk maintenance work, preventive and predictive maintenance can help. ATS supports manufacturers with maintenance strategy, training and execution—Let’s talk.
References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). OSHA at 50. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.osha.gov/osha50/
National Association of Safety Professionals. (2026, January 11). Top OSHA fines of 2025: A clear message on repeat violations. https://www.naspweb.com/blog/top-osha-fines-of-2025-a-clear-message-on-repeat-violations/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/iif/
