OSHA conducts inspections of workplaces to identify any violations of its standards. Violations can lead to citations, penalties, and in cases where a willful violation results in an employee death, prison sentences. OSHA breaks its violations into the following categories:

• Other-than-Serious Violations are violations that have a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA may propose a penalty of up to $7,000 for each other-than-serious violation.
• Serious Violations are those where there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and that the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. OSHA may propose a mandatory penalty of up to $7,000 for each serious violation.
• Willful Violations are defined as violations that the employer intentionally and knowingly commits or violations that the employer commits with plain indifference to the law. Willful violations carry penalties of $5,000 to $70,000
• Repeat Violations are violations of any standard, regulation, rule or order where, upon reinspection, a substantially similar violation is found. Repeated violations can bring penalties of up to $70,000.

Failure to abate a prior violation may result in civil penalties of up to $7,000 per day for each day the violation continues beyond the prescribed abatement date.