An other-than-serious violation is a violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards that has a direct relationship to job safety and health but would not cause death or serious physical harm. Other-than-serious violations often carry no penalties but may result in penalties of up to $7,000. For willful other-than-serious violations, the minimum willful penalty of $5,000 must be assessed.
The Area Director may authorize a penalty up to $7,000 for an other-than-serious violation when it is determined to be appropriate to achieve the necessary deterrent effect. The reasons for such a determination must be documented in the case file. Such violations might include improper storage of materials or failure to post warning signs, among many other lapses in safety procedures.
