Overview
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) was enacted to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. In 1987, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued regulations establishing minimum standards for field sanitation in covered agricultural settings. These standards required covered employers to provide toilets, potable drinking water, hand-washing facilities, and information regarding good hygiene practices. For more general information on the OSHAct, please see Fact Sheet 51.
General Guidance
- Workers’ Rights Card - Farm Workers
- Spanish Version (PDF)
- Protections for Agricultural Workers
- OSHA Field Sanitation for Agricultural Employers
Fact Sheets
Opinion Letters & Interpretive Guidance
Applicable Laws and Regulations
Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments
Starting in 2016, agencies across the federal government must adjust their penalties for inflation each year. Below is a table that reflects the adjustments that have occurred for penalties under this statute. For more information on the penalty adjustments, go here.
| Type of Violation | Statutory Citation | CFR Citation | Maximum Civil Monetary Penalty on or before 1/15/2024 | Maximum Civil Monetary Penalty on or after 1/16/2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failure to correct a violation for which a citation has been issued under section 9(a) of the OSH Act within the period permitted for the correction. | 29 USC 666(d) | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(5) | $15,625 per day | $16,131 per day |
| Violation of the requirements of section 5 of the OSH Act, any standard, rule or order promulgated under section 6 of the OSH Act, or applicable regulations. | 29 USC 666(c) | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(4) | $15,625 | $16,131 |
| Violation of any of the posting requirements, as prescribed under provisions of the OSH Act. | 29 USC 666(i) | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(6) | $15,625 | $16,131 |
| Serious violation of the requirements of section 5 of the OSH Act, of any standard, rule, or order promulgated under section 6 of the OSH Act, or applicable regulations. | 29 USC 666(b) | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(3) | $15,625 | $16,131 |
| Willfull or repeated violation of the requirements of section 5 of the OSH Act, any standards, rules or orders promulgated under section 6 of the OSH Act, or applicable regulations. | 29 USC 666(a) | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(1) and 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(2) | $156,259 | $161,323 |