Period: October 2024 – September 2025
1. Executive Summary
During the fiscal period from October 2024 through September 2025, OSHA Standard 1910.134 (Respiratory Protection) remained a significant enforcement focus. Across all 3-digit NAICS subsectors, a total of 2,250 citations were issued, resulting from 959 inspections, with total current penalties amounting to $3,279,655.
The data indicate that manufacturing and specialty construction trades bear the highest burden of enforcement, in both frequency and financial impact.
2. Top 5 High-Risk Industries by Citations
The following subsectors recorded the highest volume of respiratory protection violations, representing over 50% of all citations issued during this period.
| NAICS | Industry Subsector | Citations | Inspections | Current Penalty |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 358 | 146 | $375,698 |
| 238 | Specialty Trade Contractors | 267 | 115 | $320,796 |
| 327 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 243 | 94 | $266,318 |
| 811 | Repair and Maintenance | 175 | 64 | $288,384 |
| 336 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 103 | 46 | $144,883 |
3. Financial Impact Analysis
While citation volume is a key metric, the average penalty per inspection reveals where OSHA is finding more severe or willful violations.
- Total Average Penalty per Inspection: $3,419.87
- Highest Severity (Penalty/Inspection): * NAICS 311 (Food Manufacturing): $8,533.66 per inspection ($230,409 total).
- NAICS 623 (Nursing and Residential Care): $11,614.57 per inspection ($81,302 total).
- NAICS 561 (Admin and Support Services): $9,161.41 per inspection ($155,744 total).
Note: The Food Manufacturing subsector (NAICS 311) shows a disproportionately high penalty amount ($230,409) relative to a lower number of inspections (27), suggesting high-gravity violations in those facilities.
4. Key Takeaways for Compliance
- Manufacturing Dominance: Subsectors under NAICS 32x and 33x (Manufacturing) account for the vast majority of respiratory citations.
- Widespread Application: The standard is being enforced across diverse sectors, from Amusement and Recreation (NAICS 713) to Waste Management (NAICS 562), proving that any workplace with potential atmospheric hazards is under scrutiny.
- Concentrated Enforcement: The “Top 3” industries alone (Fabricated Metal, Specialty Trades, and Nonmetallic Minerals) account for $962,812 in penalties—nearly 30% of the total for all industries.
5. Data Table: Sector Overview (Filtered for Major Impact)
This table highlights sectors with over 50 citations.
| NAICS | Subsector Name | Citations | Penalty |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Products | 358 | $375,698 |
| 238 | Specialty Trade Contractors | 267 | $320,796 |
| 327 | Nonmetallic Mineral Products | 243 | $266,318 |
| 811 | Repair and Maintenance | 175 | $288,384 |
| 336 | Transportation Equipment | 103 | $144,883 |
| 337 | Furniture and Related | 102 | $68,455 |
| 333 | Machinery Manufacturing | 98 | $155,290 |
| 325 | Chemical Manufacturing | 88 | $155,596 |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers (Durable) | 75 | $127,855 |
| 339 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 65 | $83,839 |
| 326 | Plastics and Rubber Products | 56 | $117,291 |
| 236 | Construction of Buildings | 56 | $48,916 |
| 311 | Food Manufacturing | 51 | $230,409 |
Source: Gemini Plus was used to analyze the OSHA data to generate this summary