WHAT’S NEW

The current penalty for a serious violation has increased to a maximum of $14, 502.  The maximum penalty for a willful or repeated citation is $145,027.   The failure to abate penalty is up to $14,502 per day for up to 30 days.   The penalty will increase again in 2023 based on the consumer price index.  

In  Dec 2018, Star Advertiser reported that Sealife park was fined for $130K by HIOSH (Hawaii State OSHA).  Somehow, the citations were all dismissed by the Hawaii’s Labor Relations Board.  See link here.    Case closed.

Starting  Jan 1, 2018, penalties for HIOSH violations will go up per Act 126.  A serious citation may cost you up to $12,675.   Penalty for a willful citation is up to $126,749 with a minimum of $9,054.    Each day a violation continues will be considered a separate violation (which is similar to how EPA imposes penalties).    It is an entirely new approach for unabated violation.  The Act does not mention about the maximum number of days for penalty calculation for unabated violation.   So it is not sure if there is a cap on this one.  See the Act for details.

Also, the state minimum wage will be $10.10 an hour, an increase of $0.85.  Federal minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour.