OSHA on the hunt: Inspections, fines rise in S.D.

More workplace safety officers in state as agency keys on construction

As development in Sioux Falls and other parts of South Dakota boomed, the federal government took notice.

Workplace inspections conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in South Dakota are up substantially in the last few years. With the exception of a dip in 2020 attributed to the Covid pandemic, inspections conducted by OSHA’s Sioux Falls Area Office have steadily climbed in the past decade, an analysis of OSHA data by The Dakota Scout found.

While that’s intended to create safer workplaces, some builders and contractors say it’s also slowing work down.

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