MNOSHA Compliance: Penalty credits and reductions

Minnesota OSHA’s goal is to have employer address and correct any worksite safety or health hazards, not to just issue penalties.

Employer credits

A penalty for a violation may be credited by as much as 95%, depending on the:

• employer’s good faith (up to 30% credit for demonstrated efforts to provide a safe workplace);

• size of business (up to 55%); and

• previous violation history (up to 10%).

Penalty reductions

If an employer contests a penalty, Minnesota OSHA Compliance may reduce a penalty based on an employer’s:

• new information that supports the reduction or removal of penalty;

• commitment to spend money on training or safety equipment; or

• agreement to fix the hazard or submits a progress report that all the hazards have been corrected or needed safety or health equipment has been purchased.