WAC 296-900-14020   Increases to adjusted base penalties.  

     • WISHA may increase an adjusted base penalty in certain circumstances. Table 6, Increases to Adjusted Base Penalties, describes circumstances where an increase may be applied to an adjusted base penalty.


Table 6

Increases to Adjusted Base Penalties
For this circumstance: The adjusted base penalty may be increased as follows:
Repeat violation


When the employer has been previously cited for a substantially similar hazard, with a final order for the previous violation dated no more than 3 years prior to the employer committing the violation being cited.
Multiplied by the total number of citations with violations involving similar hazards, including the current inspection.


Note: The maximum penalty can't exceed seventy thousand dollars for each violation.
Willful violation Multiplied by ten with at least the statutory minimum penalty of five thousand dollars
An act committed with the intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard for the WISHA requirements or with plain indifference to employee safety.   Note: The maximum penalty can't exceed $70,000 for each violation.
Egregious violation


If the violation was willful and at least one of the following:
With a separate penalty issued for each instance the employer fails to follow a specific requirement.
• The violations resulted in worker fatalities, a worksite catastrophe, or a large number of injuries or illnesses.
• The violations resulted in persistently high rates of worker injuries or illnesses.
• The employer has an extensive history of prior violations.
• The employer has intentionally disregarded its safety and health responsibilities.
• The employer's conduct taken as a whole amounts to clear bad faith in the performance of his/her duties.
• The employer has committed a large number of violations so as to undermine significantly the effectiveness of any safety and health program that might be in place.    
Failure to abate (FTA)


Failure to correct a cited WISHA violation on time.
Based on the facts at the time of reinspection, will be multiplied by:
Reference: For how to certify corrected violations, go to Certifying violation corrections, WAC 296-900-15005 through 296-900-15030. At least five, but up to ten, based on the employer's effort to comply.
The number of calendar days past the correction date, with a minimum of five days.
Note: The maximum penalty can't exceed seven thousand dollars per day for every day the violation is not corrected.




[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 07-03-163, § 296-900-14020, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07; 06-06-020, § 296-900-14020, filed 2/21/06, effective 6/1/06.]