Top 10 OSHA Violations

Every October, the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration releases a preliminary list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year, compiled from nearly 32,000 inspections of workplaces by federal OSHA staff. One remarkable thing about the list is that is rarely changes. Year after year, inspectors see thousands of the same on-the-job hazards, any one of which could result in a fatality or severe injury. More than 4,500 workers are killed on the job every year, and approximately 3 million are injured, despite the fact that by law, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. If all employers simply corrected the top 10 hazards, the number of deaths, amputations and hospitalizations would drastically decline.

1. Fall Protection (1926.501) 6,721 Citations - $19,843,111.00 in fines

 

2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) 5,192 Citations

 

3. Scaffolding (1926.451) 4,295 Citations

 

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) 3,305 Citations

 

5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) 3,002 Citations

 

6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) 2,760 Citations

 

7. Ladders (1926.1053) 2,489 Citations

 

8. Electrical/Wiring Methods (1910.305) 2,404 Citations

 

9. Machine Guarding (1910.212) 2,295 Citations

 

10. Electrical/General Requirements (1910.303) 1,973 Citations