The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes safety seriously, as it should. While some companies pay nothing for a standard violation, others are issued fines exceeding hundreds of thousands of dollars. In rare instances, they have spent over $1 million. These examples of OSHA violations represent the top 10 penalties for 2025, as well as the price of not complying and how to adjust.

The Consequences of Noncompliance

Noncompliance is expensive. As of 2025, OSHA charges up to $16,550 per violation for serious or other-than-serious violations. For a failure to abate offense, it can fine companies $16,550 daily after the abatement date. Willful or repeated offenses demonstrate deliberate disregard for employees’ well-being, so they carry a maximum penalty of $165,514 for each one.

Since this federal agency cannot shut down entities after repeated violations, the fines increase dramatically. It only requests temporary shutdowns from the court in rare instances where a hazard poses imminent danger.

OSHA penalties are not meant to be devastating, but the fines should hurt. Noncompliance carries real risk, even when violating other-than-serious standards. Say a retail store does not provide sufficiently safe clearances in aisles and doorways where employees use hand trucks. If a fire breaks out, they may be unable to reach the exit, resulting in avoidable fatalities.

The Largest Fines

The year isn’t over, but it will be difficult to top the most significant penalties of 2025. These OSHA violation examples come from the regulator’s list of enforcement cases with penalties exceeding $40,000:

1. Dollar Tree Inc.: On June 10, 2025, OSHA fined Dollar Tree in Alexandria, Virginia, $284,225 for failing to keep exit routes clear and provide sufficient safe clearances, among other things. The four OSHA citations were repeat violations, considerably raising the maximum penalty threshold.
2. Darling Ingredients Inc.: A Darling Ingredients Inc. facility in Grapeland, Texas, was forced to pay $297,914 after OSHA issued fines for nine violations — eight of which were serious — in March 2025. The most expensive was 29 CFR 1910.1000, for which it was penalized $165,514.
3. Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists LLC.: In the same month, OSHA fined Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists LLC. of Bath, Pennsylvania, upwards of $312,089. Since every violation was a repeat, the fee was much higher.
4. Landmark Atlantic Holdings Company LLC.: Virginia-based Landmark Atlantic Holdings Company LLC. was told to pay $317,450 on May 16, 2025, for willful prohibited activities under state law. Its two violations involved danger of contact with overhead power lines.
5. Asset Roofing Company LLC.: As a roofing entity, Asset Roofing Company LLC. should take working at heights seriously. However, it knowingly failed to provide fall restraint systems or fall protection work plans per Washington law. For these safety violations, OSHA issued a $322,646 penalty.
6. Luis Alberto-Reyna Avila: Pennsylvania roofing contractor Luis Alberto-Reyna Avila was cited for exposing crews to workplace hazards and falls on March 17, 2025. Ten of its 12 OSHA citations were serious, bringing its total penalty to $478,088.
7. Resource Recycling Inc.: In April, OSHA fined Resource Recycling Inc. $536,253 for 16 cited standards, 12 of which were serious. Some of the most expensive include 29 CFR 1910.28, 1910.147(c)(4) and 1910.147(c)(4), which cost $132,411 each.
8. The James Skinner LLC.: OSHA cited Nebraska-based bakery The James Skinner LLC. for 19 fines totaling $576,439 on February 4, 2025. Sixteen were serious, two were willful and one was a repeat offense. The most expensive included 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1) and 1910.303 (g)(2).
9. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company: Goodyear is one of the two organizations ordered to pay over $1 million in 2025. A facility in Danville, Virginia, received a $1.25 million fine for 68 OSHA citations, 61 of which were serious. 
10. Daehan Solution Nevada LLC.: Out of all the OSHA penalties in 2025, the amount Daehan Solution Nevada LLC. was forced to pay tops the list. For 56 OSHA citations — 10 serious and 40 repeat — the regulator fined it $4,137,482 on January 17, 2025.

Learning an Expensive Safety Lesson

For most of these facilities, no single safety or health problem was their downfall. The transgressions ranged from unacceptable exposure to air contaminants to unguarded machinery. Many had numerous citations, including some of the most cited OSHA standards, which they should have been aware of and prevented.

The most expensive OSHA penalties of 2025 were often willful or repeat offenses. Despite being acutely aware of the consequences of noncompliance, they made the same mistake twice, and it cost them 10 times more.

They sometimes faced regulatory scrutiny because of a referral, routine inspection or on-the-job accident. However, some of the biggest fines resulted from investigations launched due to OSHA violations reporting. Employees who felt conditions were unsafe or unhealthful had submitted complaints.

Mitigation Strategies to Prevent Fines

Just because safety managers have the most common issues covered doesn’t mean they will avoid fines. Many of the largest OSHA penalties of 2025 involved lesser-known standards like danger of contact with overhead power lines or the design and construction requirements for exit routes.

These examples demonstrate the importance of comprehensive safety planning. Professionals future mitigation strategies should involve a multipronged approach covering training, audits and OSHA violations reporting.

Robust Safety Training

Safety personnel should develop training based on the most cited OSHA standards. Take 29 CFR 1926.503, for example. Construction workers must utilize fall protection systems when working from elevated platforms. Other best practices include limiting operations to trained personnel and ensuring loads are within equipment weight limits.

Near-Miss Reporting

To avoid unexpected OSHA violations reporting, professionals should develop a near-miss documentation system. Identifying hidden health and safety trends early on can prevent minor problems from snowballing. 

Routine Safety Audits

Sometimes, people knowingly neglect safety standards. For instance, in construction, over 62% of workers will work at heights requiring fall protection equipment, but just 31% will wear protective harnesses and helmets. Audits are essential to ensure training is effective and compliance is consistent.

Anonymous Feedback

OSHA is a relatively small federal regulator, employing just 1,850 inspectors to ensure the health and safety of approximately 130 million working adults. In the 2024 fiscal year, it conducted 34,696 inspections. The most cited OSHA standards included fall protection, hazard communication, lockout/tagout procedures, ladders and respiratory protection.

Compliance officers cannot detect every offense, so some employers feel safe bending the rules. However, it only takes one complaint to catch their attention. Safety personnel should offer anonymous feedback channels so staff feel comfortable sharing their concerns internally. 

Diligently Preventing OSHA Citations 

Even the most diligent team members make mistakes. Fortunately, these OSHA violation examples demonstrate that the most expensive ones often involve willful repeat offenses. Safety personnel can prevent OSHA penalties in 2025 and beyond as long as they are diligent.