It can happen just about anywhere, at any time, and for a number of different reasons. If you're like most executives and managers, you may be getting increasingly concerned about OSHA unexpectedly knocking on your door to conduct an inspection.

In aggregate, OSHA conducts an estimated 90-100,000 inspections per year - when including both state and federal inspections - where the total penalties can range from $0 (no violations cited which happens roughly 20% of the time) up to literally $10s millions in extreme cases - and possibly even, albeit rare, criminal referral to DOJ for possible prosecution as noted above. This spans all manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail, many services, and numerous other industries. OSHA has jurisdiction over an estimated 8 million different workplaces across the country, including US territories such as Guam, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Furthermore, the Department of Justice and OSHA are collaborating to increase criminal prosecution of workplace safety violations. To put it another way, OSHA has traded in its 'stick' for a 'sledgehammer' when it comes to enforcement. These penalty limits are inflation adjusted every January or so. The Agency is now authorized to issue a Serious violation penalty of up to $13,653 and a Willful violation can go up to $136,532 (for 2021). There have been a number of recent developments which significantly sharpen OSHA's (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) proverbial teeth.

Osha inspection process