If you run a construction company in North Central Florida, OSHA is closer than you might think. We pulled OSHA’s public enforcement data for federal OSHA construction inspections opened from January 2023 through mid-September 2026 at job sites within about 120 miles of Gainesville. That covers the area from Jacksonville and St. Augustine to Ocala, Daytona, The Villages, the Orlando area, the north side of Tampa, and Valdosta. Here’s what it shows and what you can do about it.
What the numbers show
- 2,515 construction inspections in this data, and just over half (1,310) have at least one citation on record. Some of those cases are still open.
- About $19.15 million in penalties as first issued, including items OSHA later deleted. The current total is about $13.69 million, reflecting settlements and final orders so far. It also includes open and contested cases that can still change.
- About 44% of inspections were planned or programmed, and about 16% started with a complaint. Under OSHA’s national emphasis programs, inspectors may open an inspection when they see someone working at heights or an open trench.
- OSHA’s maximum penalties that may be assessed after Jan. 15, 2026 are $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeat violation (osha.gov/penalties, checked October 22, 2026).
Which OSHA office? In this data, every Alachua County construction inspection was handled by OSHA’s Jacksonville Area Office, and Marion and Levy county inspections were handled by the Tampa Area Office.
Five local patterns worth learning from
1. Trenches without protection. Cave-in protection citations were relatively rare here (57 items in nearly four years), but they were costly. Three of the five largest penalties outside roofing, as first issued, were trench cases, each over $140,000 before any settlement or final order. Under OSHA’s trench emphasis program, inspectors may open an inspection when they see an open trench or excavation.
2. Residential framing and carpentry falls. Roofers aren’t the only trade with big fall citations. In this data, 68 inspections of other trades, 53 of them framing contractors, included both a fall protection citation and at least one willful or repeat citation. The median penalty in those inspections was about $19,900 as first issued, and eight topped $50,000. About a third of those cases are still open and may change.
3. Scaffolds and aerial lifts. For inspections opened in 2025, scaffold and aerial lift citations rose to 125 items, from 90 in 2023 and 65 in 2024, even though fewer inspections were opened. 2025 counts may still grow as citations are issued. Scaffolds are the second most-cited standard locally for trades other than roofing.
4. Struck-by equipment. In OSHA accident records linked to these inspections (2023 through February 2025), 15 of 36 fatality records involved being struck by or caught in equipment or objects, such as loaders, rollers, dozers, falling materials, and motor vehicles. 17 involved falls.
5. Paperwork counts too. Across the area, OSHA issued 41 citations for not reporting a death or serious injury on time, 36 for missed electronic filing of the injury summary (Form 300A), and 146 for missing written fall protection training records.
What OSHA cites most around here
- Fall protection (858 citations; residential fall protection alone was 706)
- Ladders (396)
- Eye and face protection (277)
- Fall protection training and records (271)
- Scaffolds (236)
Trenching citations are less common, but they include some of the largest local penalties outside roofing (see pattern 1 above).
A note on heat: in this data we found almost no local heat-related fines. That doesn’t mean heat isn’t a risk. It’s still an important prevention topic for Florida crews, especially new workers in their first week.
Practical steps for your next job
- Write it down. Keep a written fall protection plan and a trench and excavation plan for each job, and walk the crew through them.
- Name a competent person for trenches and scaffolds: someone who inspects trenches daily and scaffolds before each shift, can spot hazards, and is authorized to take prompt corrective action.
- Keep training records. OSHA requires a written fall protection training certification record with each worker’s name, the training date(s), and the signature of the trainer or the employer. Toolbox talk sign-in sheets help too.
- Check ladders and scaffolds before use: ladder rails 3 feet above the landing, guardrails, planking, and tie-off in aerial lifts.
- Control equipment around people: spotters, backup alarms, seatbelts on equipment with rollover protection, and clear walk zones.
- Know your reporting deadlines. Report a work-related fatality within 8 hours, and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours (osha.gov/report or 1-800-321-OSHA).
- File your Form 300A electronically by March 2 each year if a construction establishment had 20 or more employees at any time during the prior year. Larger establishments may have added filing duties under 29 CFR 1904.41.
- Fix hazards fast and document it. Abatement records show what you corrected and when. In closed local cases, final penalties totaled about 29% less than first issued, but every case is different, and the data doesn’t show why any penalty changed. Talk with an attorney about any citation.
Where to get help
USF SafetyFlorida, Florida’s OSHA On-Site Consultation Program, offers complimentary, confidential safety consultations, primarily for smaller businesses. OSHA says consultations are separate from enforcement, and employers commit to correcting serious hazards the consultant finds. Call 1-866-273-1105.
McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, serving clients since 1983. For our workers’ comp clients, we offer audit support, a safety training platform, OSHA support, and access to live HR professionals. To talk through your safety program or training records, call a licensed member of our team at (352) 371-7977.
About this data: Counts come from OSHA’s public inspection and violation data for federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened January 2023 through September 17, 2026 (the latest date in files downloaded October 15 and 16, 2026), at sites within about 120 miles of Gainesville, measured straight-line from ZIP code centers. Sites whose ZIP code couldn’t be matched aren’t included, and the data doesn’t cover every job site or any state or local enforcement. “As first issued” totals include items OSHA later deleted. Current penalties reflect informal settlements, contests and final orders recorded so far, and open or contested cases may still change. OSHA can take up to six months to issue citations, so recent numbers may be understated. Fatality records run only through February 2025, and one event can appear under more than one employer. Roofing contractors are included (about 29% of inspections and 46% of first-issued penalties). General information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- OSHA/DOL enforcement data (inspection, violation and accident datasets): https://data.dol.gov ; bulk files used: https://dataportal.dol.gov/datasets/10334 and https://data.dol.gov/data-catalog/OSHA/violation/OSHA_violation.zip (downloaded Oct 15 and 16, 2026)
- OSHA penalties: https://www.osha.gov/penalties
- OSHA national emphasis programs (falls, 2023 release; trenching and excavation, CPL 02-00-161): https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/osha-national-news-release/20230501 ; https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/directives/nep
- OSHA Florida area offices: https://www.osha.gov/contactus/bystate/fl/areaoffice
- Severe-injury reporting (29 CFR 1904.39): https://www.osha.gov/report
- Electronic 300A submission and covered industries: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.41 ; https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/naics-codes-electronic-submission
- USF SafetyFlorida consultation: https://health.usf.edu/publichealth/research/cohpe/safetyflorida/
- OSHA On-Site Consultation Program: https://www.osha.gov/consultation
- Fall protection training certification (29 CFR 1926.503): https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.503
