Illumination-related OSHA enforcement activity in U.S. workplaces: Trends, penalties, and surveillance limitations, 1972-2024

In 2025, OSHA proposed rescinding its construction illumination standards (29 CFR 1926.26 and 1926.56) as not substantially reducing a significant risk. This study analyzed 13.05 million OSHA violation records from 1972 to 2024, counting only lighting paragraphs within each standard and matching pre- and post-2003 provisions across OSHA's 2002 renumbering of exit-route rules. Illumination-related citations totaled 17,622 (0.14% of all violations; 333 annually), 7962 for work-area or exit-route lighting; the annual share never exceeded 0.22%. Construction illumination citations averaged 53 per year. The median initial penalty was $0 in every category; 77% of citations recorded either a $0 initial penalty or no penalty value. Citation frequency does not necessarily reflect the prevalence of continuous environmental hazards, and failure to account for regulatory renumbering can distort trends. Using citation rarity to justify rescission risks removing a protective standard; OSHA should retain both construction illumination standards and supplement enforcement data with direct measurement.