What can be said about the annual fines collected due to OSHA citations?

Annual fines collected from OSHA citations are typically less than OSHA's annual budget. This relationship highlights the fact that OSHA's funding primarily comes from appropriations made by Congress, rather than being entirely reliant on the fines levied as penalties for non-compliance. While OSHA does impose fines to encourage workplaces to adhere to safety standards, these fines contribute only a fraction of the overall funding needed for various programs, enforcement efforts, and administrative functions encompassed in OSHA's budget.

Understanding this context allows us to appreciate the financial structure of OSHA and its role in promoting workplace safety without solely depending on the penalties it enforces. The other options suggest different perspectives that do not capture the actual financial dynamics between OSHA’s budget and the fines collected, such as the notion that fines exceed the budget or are never collected, which misrepresents how funding operates within the agency's framework.