Occupational Safety and Health Amendments

Higher workplace safety fines for employers

Beginning May 7, 2025, Utah raises the maximum civil fine per cited workplace safety violation from $13,653 to $16,131. Serious violations also have a $16,131 cap. For willful violations, the minimum rises from $9,753 to $11,518, and the maximum rises from $136,532 to $161,323. Employers previously found to have violated the same safety standard, code, rule, or order face up to $161,323 per repeat violation. Uncorrected violations can bring fines up to $16,131 each day after the correction deadline. Violating required posting rules can bring a fine up to $16,131 per violation. A serious violation involves a hazard the employer knows or should discover through reasonable care. It must pose a substantial possibility of death or serious physical harm. When setting fines, the Commission must consider employer size, the violation's nature, good faith, and past compliance. After a citation and an opportunity for a hearing, the division can turn unpaid penalties into a court judgment. That judgment includes reasonable attorney fees set under Commission rules and court costs. Collected civil penalties go to Utah's General Fund; the law provides no new appropriations.