Employers with severe workplace safety hazards may soon face a greater number of citations—and penalties.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released new enforcement guidance on Jan. 26 that expands how it applies instance-by-instance citations for serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). The agency is stepping up enforcement to strengthen compliance and help prevent workplace injuries and fatalities.

OSHA regional administrators and area office directors will gain the authority to bring instance-by-instance citations for some egregious violations of OSHA standards, instead of grouping them together. OSHA has also broadened the list of situations that may result in instance-by-instance citations to include lockout/tagout, machine guarding, permit-required confined space, respiratory protection, falls and trenching.

The new guidance will take effect March 27 and cover general industry, agriculture, and the maritime and construction industries.

It will apply to high-gravity serious violations, meaning situations involving death or permanent, irreversible injury or illness. The gravity of a violation can be low, moderate or high, based on the severity of the injury or illness that could result, as well as the likelihood that it could happen.

"Smart, impactful enforcement means using all the tools available to us when an employer doesn't get it and will respond to only additional deterrence in the form of increased...

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