OSHA citation types explained: Serious, Willful, Repeat
Every citation on an OSHA record has a type. The type is OSHA's own label for how severe it considered the hazard. Knowing the labels helps you tell a minor paperwork issue from something more serious.
The five types OSHA lists
OSHA's inspection data definitions list five violation types: Willful, Repeat, Serious, Other and Unclassified. OSHA's page describes them as showing how severe the hazard was, but it does not define each one there. The plain-English descriptions below follow OSHA's booklet for employers, Employer Rights and Responsibilities Following a Federal OSHA Inspection, and are general, not legal definitions.
| Type | Plain meaning | What to take from it |
|---|---|---|
| Willful | OSHA believed the employer knew about the requirement or the hazard and did not act, or showed plain indifference to worker safety. | The most serious label. Look into it. |
| Repeat | OSHA cited the same or a substantially similar condition before. | A sign of a pattern, so check the earlier inspections. |
| Serious | The hazard could cause injury or illness likely to result in death or serious physical harm, and the employer knew or should have known. | Common. Weigh how many and how recent. |
| Other | Related to job safety and health, but unlikely to cause death or serious harm. | Usually the least severe type. |
| Unclassified | Listed by OSHA, but not defined on its data page. | Do not guess. Read the citation and the standard cited. |
Penalties go with the type
OSHA's penalties page lists much higher maximum penalties for willful or repeated violations than for serious ones. When this guide was written, the maximums shown were $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation, and the page says they are adjusted each year, so check it for the current figures. A maximum is a ceiling. Real penalties are often lower, and OSHA's booklet says it has a policy of reducing penalties for small employers and those acting in good faith.
How to read them without over-reading
- One Serious citation from one inspection is a data point. Several Serious or Repeat citations over a few years is a pattern worth a conversation.
- Look at the standard cited as well as the type. The standard tells you what the hazard was.
- Look at the age. A citation from several years ago that was corrected says less than a recent one.
- Check whether the citation was deleted. OSHA marks items removed through settlement or judicial action as deleted and leaves them out of the violation count.
- A citation is OSHA's finding. Employers have 15 working days to contest, and the outcome can change the record.
Where this fits in a check
Citation types are one part of the picture. The inspection record guide covers the rest of the record, and the contractor check guide gives a step-by-step routine.
Common questions
What is the difference between Serious and Willful?
Serious describes the severity of the hazard. Willful describes the employer's state of mind, as OSHA saw it: knowing about the requirement or hazard and failing to act, or plain indifference. Willful carries a higher maximum penalty.
Can a citation be removed from the record?
Items deleted through settlement or judicial action are marked as deleted in OSHA's data and are not counted. Penalties can also be reduced, which is why the initial and current penalty can differ.
What does Unclassified mean?
OSHA lists it as a type but does not define it on its data definitions page. Look at the citation details instead of relying on the label.
Sources
- OSHA inspection data definitions
- OSHA penalties
- OSHA 3000: Employer Rights and Responsibilities Following a Federal OSHA Inspection