Occupational Safety and Health: Penalties for Violations Are Well Below Maximum Allowable Penalties

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets and reduces workplace safety and health violation penalties, focusing on: (1) how much OSHA actually assesses for violations; (2) whether proposed penalties and reductions were about the same across regions and at the different administrative and judicial review levels; and (3) whether the OSHA policy of penalty reductions to avoid litigation achieves its goal of quicker and better abatement of cited hazards.