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OSHA announced new enforcement guidelines earlier this week in a stated effort to make its penalties more effective. Regional Administrator and Area Office Directors now have the authority to cite certain types of violations as “instance-by-instance citations” for what are considered high-gravity serious violations of OSHA standards specific to falls, trenching, machine guarding, respiratory protection, permit required confined spaces, lockout tagout, and other-than-serious violations of OSHA standards specific to recordkeeping. In a different notification, OSHA reminded Administrators and Directors of their authority not to group violations, and instead cite them separately to “more effectively encourage employers to comply with the intent of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.” The new guidance covers enforcement activity in the construction industry, general industry, agriculture, and maritime and becomes effective Monday, March 27, 2023.