Reporting Period: October 2024 – September 2025
Executive Summary
During the FY 2025 reporting period, OSHA issued 309 citations across 112 inspections related to the Permit-Required Confined Space standard (1910.146). Total penalties for this period reached $2,174,234. The data reveal a heavy concentration of enforcement in the manufacturing sector, though the highest average penalties per citation were in the Utilities sector.
Data Breakdown by Economic Sector (NAICS)
The following table organizes the raw data by total penalty amount to highlight where the highest financial impacts are occurring.
| NAICS | Industry Classification | Citations | Inspections | Total Penalty | Avg. Penalty / Citation |
| 22 | Utilities | 19 | 3 | $640,346 | $33,702 |
| 33 | Manufacturing (Part 3) | 64 | 20 | $507,531 | $7,930 |
| 32 | Manufacturing (Part 2) | 73 | 28 | $445,253 | $6,099 |
| 71 | Arts, Entertainment, & Rec. | 5 | 4 | $139,930 | $27,986 |
| 56 | Admin/Support/Waste Mgmt | 42 | 9 | $135,558 | $3,227 |
| 42 | Wholesale Trade | 22 | 10 | $108,091 | $4,913 |
| 31 | Manufacturing (Part 1) | 21 | 11 | $38,268 | $1,822 |
| 23 | Construction | 11 | 6 | $35,741 | $3,249 |
| 81 | Other Services | 14 | 3 | $27,998 | $1,999 |
| 48 | Transportation/Warehousing | 11 | 4 | $27,619 | $2,510 |
| 54 | Professional/Scientific | 4 | 2 | $20,846 | $5,211 |
| 62 | Health Care | 4 | 3 | $16,758 | $4,189 |
| 11 | Ag/Forestry/Fishing | 8 | 4 | $16,221 | $2,027 |
| 44 | Retail Trade | 6 | 3 | $8,400 | $1,400 |
| 21 | Mining/Oil & Gas | 4 | 1 | $5,675 | $1,418 |
Key Observations & Trends
1. Manufacturing Dominates Citation Frequency
When combining the three manufacturing segments (NAICS 31, 32, and 33), the sector accounts for:
- 158 Citations (51% of all PRCS citations).
- 59 Inspections (52% of all PRCS-related inspections).
- $991,052 in Penalties (45% of total fines).
2. High-Severity Outcomes in Utilities
While the Utilities (NAICS 22) sector had only 3 inspections, it yielded the highest total penalty ($640,346) and an extremely high average of $33,702 per citation. This suggests that when violations occur in this sector, they are often classified as “Willful” or “Repeat,” or involve multiple serious hazards per entry.
3. High Risk/High Penalty Outliers
The Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (NAICS 71) sector shows a surprisingly high average penalty of $27,986 per citation. This often points to specific incidents in themed environments or large venues where confined space programs were found to be critically deficient.
4. Administrative and Waste Services (NAICS 56)
This sector, which includes remediation and waste management, shows a high frequency of citations (42) relative to inspections (9). This indicates that inspectors are finding an average of 4.6 violations per inspection, highlighting a potential systemic struggle with PRCS program documentation or atmospheric testing protocols in this industry.
Recommended Focus Areas for Compliance
Given these results, employers should ensure strict adherence to the primary components of $1910.146$:
- Space Evaluation: Correctly identifying permit vs. non-permit spaces.
- Atmospheric Testing: Ensuring calibrated equipment is used before and during entry.
- Attendant Duties: Maintaining a “Rescue-Ready” posture and constant communication.
- Documentation: Ensuring permits are fully completed and canceled permits are retained for the annual review.
Source: Gemini Plus was used to analyze the OSHA data to generate this summary