(a) Any employer who violates this chapter, or any occupational safety and health standard promulgated hereunder or any rule issued under the authority of this chapter, or who violates or fails to comply with any citation, notice, or order made under or by virtue of this chapter or under or by virtue of any rule of the department, or who defaces, displaces, destroys, damages, or removes without the authority of the department any safety device, safeguards, notice, or warning required by this chapter or any rule of the department may be assessed a civil penalty as specified in this chapter.

Attorney's Note

Under the Hawaii Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A felony20 years to lifeup to $50,000
Class B felonyup to 10 yearsup to $25,000
Class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $10,000
misdemeanorup to 1 year$2,000
petty misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $1,000
For details, see Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-659, Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-660 and Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-663
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-10

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Department: means the department of labor and industrial relations. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Director: means the director of labor and industrial relations or the director's designee. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Employee: means every natural person who is required or directed or permitted or suffered by any employer to engage in any employment, or to go to work or be at any time in any place of employment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Employer: means :

    (1) The State and every state agency;

    (2) Each county and all public and quasi-public corporations and public agencies therein;

    (3) Every person which has any natural person in service;

    (4) The legal representative of any deceased employer;

    (5) Every person having direction, management, control, or custody of any employment, place of employment, or any employee. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3

  • Employment: includes the carrying on of any trade, business, occupation, or work, including all excavation, demolition, and construction work, or any process or operation in any way related thereto, in which any person is engaged to work for hire except domestic service in or about a private home. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Occupational safety and health standard: means a standard which requires conditions, or the adoption or use of one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes, reasonably necessary or appropriate to provide safe or healthful employment and places of employment. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Serious violation: means a violation that carries with it a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition that exists, or from one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes that have been adopted or are in use, in a place of employment, unless the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, have known of the presence of the violation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
  • Wilful violation: means a voluntary act or omission by the employer, as distinguished from an accidental act or omission, that is done with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, any standard, rule, citation, or order issued under the authority of this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 396-3
(b) Any employer who has received an order or citation for a serious violation of any standard or rule adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $12,675 for each violation.
(c) Any employer who has received an order or citation for a violation of any standard or rule adopted pursuant to this chapter, and the violation is specifically determined not to be of a serious nature, may be assessed a civil penalty of up to $12,675 for each violation.
(d) Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation except that during an abatement period only, no additional penalty shall be levied against the employer.
(e) Any employer who violates any of the posting requirements prescribed under this chapter shall be assessed a civil penalty of up to $12,675 for each violation.
(f) Any employer who wilfully or repeatedly violates this chapter, or any standard, rule, citation, or order issued under the authority of this chapter, shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $126,749 for each violation, but not less than $9,054 for each wilful violation.
(g) Any employer convicted of wilful or repeated violations of any standard, rule, citation, or order issued under the authority of this chapter resulting in the death of an employee shall be punished by a fine of not more than $126,749 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, except that if the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction, punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $126,749 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Failure to correct a violation for which an order or citation of arrest has been issued shall be evidence of wilful conduct.
(h) Any employer who has received an order for violation under section 396-8(e) may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $9,054 for each violation.
(i) Any person who gives advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under this chapter, without authority from the director or the director’s designees shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $9,054 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.
(j) The director shall have authority to assess all civil penalties provided in this section, giving due consideration to the appropriateness of the penalty with respect to the size of the business of the employer being charged, the gravity of the violation, the good faith of the employer, and the history of previous violations.
(k) Civil penalties imposed under this chapter shall be paid to the department and may be recovered by civil action in the name of the department and the State brought in the district or circuit court for the circuit where the violation is alleged to have occurred or where the employer has its principal office.
(l) When an alleged violation of any provision of this chapter or any standard, rule, or order made pursuant to this chapter has occurred, the department shall promptly issue a written citation, order, or notice thereof to the employer who shall be required to post the citation, order, or notice. The citation, order, or notice thereof shall include the abatement requirements and within a reasonable time the employer shall be advised of the proposed sanctions, including proposed penalties. Whenever reference is made to posting of any citation, order, notice, petition, decision, or any other type of document issued by the director under this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter, the employer shall post copies of the document at the work site involved or affected and at the place or places where notices to the employees involved are normally posted. Where posting starts the time for notice of action to or for appeal by employees under this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter, the document shall be posted by the employer upon receipt or on the next business day following receipt.
(m) Whoever knowingly makes any false statement, representation, or certification in any application, record, report, plan, or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $11,000, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.
(n) Criminal offenses committed against any employee of the State acting within the scope of the employee’s office, employment, or authority under this chapter shall be subject to the penalties set forth in the Hawaii Penal Code; provided that:

(1) Ten years shall be added to the maximum term of imprisonment (unless life imprisonment is imposed) and $55,000 shall be added to the maximum fine imposed for conviction of a class A felony;
(2) Five years shall be added to the maximum term of imprisonment and $27,500 shall be added to the maximum fine imposed for conviction of a class B felony;
(3) Three years shall be added to the maximum term of imprisonment and $11,000 shall be added to the maximum fine for conviction of a class C felony;
(4) One year shall be added to the maximum term of imprisonment and $2,200 shall be added to the maximum fine for conviction of a misdemeanor; and
(5) The maximum term of imprisonment and maximum fines prescribed for misdemeanors under the Hawaii Penal Code shall apply to convictions of a petty misdemeanor.
(o) The director shall adjust penalties pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 , section 701 of P.L. 114-74, by December 15, 2018, and each year thereafter. The director shall adjust penalty levels using the guidance of the Office of Management and Budget and issue the new penalties by December 15 of each year. The new penalties shall take effect the following January 15 of each year. The director shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session on the penalty adjustments.
(p) All civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the labor law enforcement special fund.

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