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ance officer during the inspection. An authorized
representative of the employees, if any, also has
the right to go along. In any case, the compliance
officer will consult privately with a reasonable
number of employees during the inspection.
Walkaround
—Following the opening conference,
the compliance officer and the representatives will
walk through the portions of the workplace covered
by the inspection, inspecting for hazards that could
lead to employee injury or illness. The compliance
officer will also review worksite injury and illness
records and posting of the official OSHA poster.
During the walkaround, compliance officers may
point out some apparent violations that can be
corrected immediately. While the law requires
that these hazards must still be cited, prompt
correction is a sign of good faith on the part of the
employer. Compliance officers try to minimize
work interruptions during the inspection and will
keep confidential any trade secrets they observe.
Closing Conference
—After the walkaround, the
compliance officer holds a closing conference
with the employer and the employee representa-
tives to discuss the findings. The compliance
officer discusses possible courses of action an
employer may take following an inspection, which
could include an informal conference with OSHA
or contesting citations and proposed penalties.
The compliance officer also discusses consulta-
tion and employee rights.
Results
OSHA must issue a citation and proposed penalty
within six months of the violation’s occurrence.
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or
standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of
compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.
The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.
Citations describe OSHA requirements allegedly
violated, list any proposed penalties and give a
deadline for correcting the alleged hazards.
Violations are categorized as other-than-serious,
serious, willful, repeated and failure to abate.
Penalties may range up to $7,000 for each serious
violation and up to $70,000 for each willful or
repeated violation. Penalties may be reduced
based on an employer’s good faith, inspection his-
tory, and size of business. For serious violations,
OSHA may also reduce the proposed penalty
based on the gravity of the alleged violation. No
good faith adjustment will be made for alleged
willful violations.
Appeals
When OSHA issues a citation to an employer, it
also offers the employer an opportunity for an
informal conference with the OSHA Area Director
to discuss citations, penalties, abatement dates or
any other information pertinent to the inspection.
The agency and the employer may work out a
settlement agreement to resolve the matter and to
eliminate the hazard. OSHA’s primary goal is
correcting hazards and maintaining compliance
rather than issuing citations or collecting penalties.
Alternatively, employers have 15 working days after
receipt of citations and proposed penalties to for-
mally contest the alleged violations and/or penalties
by sending a written notice to the Area Director.
OSHA forwards the contest to the Occupational
Safety and Health Review Commission for inde-
pendent review. Alternatively, citations, penalties
and abatement dates that are not challenged by the
employer or settled become a final order of the
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
U.S. Department of Labor
www.osha.gov
(800) 321-OSHA
For more complete information: