States Fault OSHA's Interim Penalty Rule Requirement To Align Fines

State regulators are urging OSHA to drop language in its interim final rule increasing civil penalties that they say appears to require that states with OSHA-approved enforcement plans also raise their penalties for health and safety violations, arguing that such a requirement would exceed OSHA authority. The Labor Department (USDOL) took comment through Aug. 15 on its July 1 interim final rule boosting maximum penalties for safety and health violations by almost 80 percent to catch up with inflation since...