WAC 296-900-14010 requires annual adjustments to DOSH gravity-based penalty amounts for inflation, based on the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) index. The base penalty can also be increased by an additional two percent when Washington state is not within 25 percent of the national penalty average for the preceding federal year calculated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

For the purposes of the 2026 adjustment, the department of labor and industries (L&I) used the percentage change of 2.92 percent from the CPI-U index from September 2024 to September 2025, as determined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. As DOSH is not within 25 percent of the national penalty average for fiscal year 2025, the gravity-based penalty amount will also increase by an additional two percent. The total change in the base penalty amount is 4.92 percent (2.92% (inflation factor) + 2%).

Gravity/Base Penalty	2025 Gravity-Based Penalty - Effective February 17, 2025	2026 Gravity-Based Penalty - Effective January 15, 2026
9 High	$7,140	$7,491
6	$6,120	$6,421
4	$4,080	$4,281
3	$3,060	$3,211
2	$2,040	$2,140
1	$1,020	$1,070