The Top 10 Workplace Safety Violations of 2016
Skimming the news, you’ll see regular reports of OSHA citations for all types of safety violations. To help educate employers about these common challenges so they can take steps to prevent injuries from occurring, OSHA publishes the top 10 most frequently cited standards in order to help organizations fix theses hazards, and stop from any harm taking place at all.
Below is OSHA’s revealing list of their top 10 most frequently cited standards after inspections of worksites for all industries during the 2024 fiscal year – October 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024.
2024 OSHA Top 10 Safety Violations: Most Common Workplace Hazards Revealed
10. Machine Guarding – 1,541 citations (29 CFR 1910.212)
According to OSHA, machine guards are defined as “barriers which prevent access to danger areas.” This type of equipment which can be categorized as fixed, interlocked, adjustable, and self-adjusting is intended to shield workers from workplaces hazards as a, which can be categorized as fixed, interlocked, adjustable, and self-adjusting, is intended to shield workers from workplace hazards caused by result of machinery use.
9. Eye and Face Protection – 1,814 citations (29 CFR 1926.102)
OSHA requires employers to provide suitable eye and face protection for workers exposed to hazards that include “flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors or potentially injurious light radiation.” This eye and face protection must align with one of the three designated American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards: they must be selected/used against specific workplace hazards; they should not create additional occupational hazards, and they must be compatible with other required PPE.
8. Scaffolding – 1,873 citations (29 CFR 1926.451)
Employers are cited and fined when their scaffolding for construction projects does not meet specific requirements. For example, each scaffold and its components must be able to support, “without failure, its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it.”
7. Fall Protection Training – 2,050 citations (29 CFR 1926.503)
Organizations are mandated by OSHA to provide training programs on key work safety areas such as how to identify hazards, strategies to alleviate and mitigate these risks, and how to hazard assessment and identification, current safety legislation and regulatory requirements, as well as the proper use of any required fall protection and arrest systems.
6. Powered Industrial Trucks – 2,248 citations (29 CFR 1910.178)
OSHA has safety mandates addressing “fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines,” but not other industrial trucks like farm vehicles.
5. Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout) – 2,443 citations (29 CFR 1910.147)
U.S. organizations must follow specific protocols for controlling hazardous energy, such as developing an energy control program. These protocols can prevent accidental activation of a work machine during maintenance which can result in severe workplace injuries or even fatalities.
4. Respiratory Protection – 2,470 citations (29 CFR 1910.134)
According to OSHA, selecting appropriate respiratory protection for workers should depend on a thorough exposure hazard assessment to environmental hazards. Potential protections and solutions include air-purifying respirators and air circulation modifications/updates to the work environment.
3. Ladders - 2,573 citations (29 CFR 1926.1053)
OSHA’s standard for the use of ladders in the workplace offers guidelines for various types of ladders. For example, non-self-supporting ladders have to be positioned at an angle in which the horizontal distance from the top support to the ladder’s base is approximately one-quarter of the ladder’s working length while in use.
2. Hazard Communication – 2,888 citations (29 CFR 1910.1200)
Hazard communication or HazCom provides organizations with specific guidelines on hazard classification and documentation, required safety training, and proper labeling practices. HazCom also addresses Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) which are a mandatory requirement in any work environment where chemicals are handled; SDSs provide detailed information on chemicals, like their hazards, first-aid measures and guidelines for storage and transportation.
1. Fall Protection - 6,307 citations (29 CFR 1926.501)
For the 14th year in a row, fall protection is the number one most cited workplace violation. OSHA requires employers provide work environments that are clean and clear of fall hazards, and they provide any necessary PPE and safety training available to at-risk employees.
Develop an OHS policy for your vulnerable workers
Organizations may also be legally required to have an OHS policy statement developed for their employees. While an OHS policy statement is a major component for safety program compliance, it’s also an effective tool for outlining important safety objectives, and with a safety program, it’s also an effective tool for outlining important safety objectives as well as safety measures and strategies that will involve employees.
Maintain compliance and safety through safety monitoring
To protect their organizations and teams from damaging citations and fines, employers must leverage current safety technologies to protect workers who are at risk, like those who work alone or in remote locations.
Current wearable technologies like lone worker apps will remind employees of important safety protocols, such as safety check-ins with their manager, helping maintain their safety as well as compliance for the organization.
Prevent OSHA citations and fines into the future
In addition to an OHS policy statement and using safety monitoring technology, preventing OSHA citations for your company will entail a workplace with a strong safety culture where hazards can be reported right away. Organizations that do not face frequent safety fines and violations are places where the employees usually feel safe and comfortable talking about safety concerns; they just need to be equipped with the right tools and technology first.