Which hazards are on OSHA’s 10 most-cited safety violations list?

“Some things will never change.”

When you hear this quote, usually it means bad news. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, is another
similar saying.

Unfortunately, eight of the 10 entries on OSHA’s 2018 top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations list
across all industries were also on last year’s list. Believe it or not, the top four most frequent OSHA
hazards (fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolds, and respiratory protection) have been on
the list since OSHA started compiling them in 2015.

To be honest, at the time of publishing, the information is still considered ‘preliminary’ (aka, it might
not be 100% accurate), but the point remains: In the USA, we are not doing enough to compile data
in a meaningful way and take preventative action to reduce risk of injury.

Here is the complete Top 10 list for 2018, along with the lists for previous years:

Most Cited Violations of 2018
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
9. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

Most Cited Violations of 2017
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
9. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
10. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)

Most Cited Violations of 2016
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Ladders (1926.1053)
8. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
9. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
10. Electrical – General Requirement (1910.303

Most Cited Violations of 2015
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication ( 1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding ( 1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Ladders (1926.1053)
8. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
9. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Electrical – General (1910.303)

Most Cited Violations of 2014
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
8. Ladders (1926.1053)
9. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Electrical – General (1910.303)

Most Cited Violations of 2013
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Ladders (1926.1053)
8. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
9. Electrical – General (1910.303)
10. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)

Below is a breakdown of the total number of violations (includes all industries) and a brief
description of the top 3 violations. The list covers violations that OSHA issued between 1 October
and 30 September.

1. Fall protection — general requirements

7,270 violations

OSHA statistics show that this is the number one OSHA violation and the leading cause of US
construction site deaths.

Included in the citations for fall protection was one issued in April to Kasper Roofing & Construction,
based in Windermere, Florida. OSHA cited Kasper after one of its employees fell to his death on a job
site near Orlando. The agency proposed a fine of $134,000.

2. Hazard communication

4,552 violations

Manufacturers and suppliers typically have safety data sheets on how to handle hazardous
materials, readily available for contractors. While hazardous chemicals stand out as an obvious risk,
some materials are considered hazardous, such as fly aluminum or steel coatings, and the dust
created by sanding drywall mud.

This year (2018), OSHA cited a Texas drilling company, Legend Directional Services, for failing to train
their employees on the hazards of flammable chemicals, among other violations, and proposed a
total fine of US$28,455.

3. Scaffolds — general requirements

 3,336 violations

The sight of scaffolding hugging the side of a building under construction is one of the most common
images associated with an active job site.

OSHA prescribes safety regulations regarding scaffolding systems, including suspension, ladder jack,
top plate bracket, roof bracket, outrigger, and pump jack scaffolds. The standard also includes fall
protection and fall arrest system requirements for those working on scaffolding at 10 feet above a
lower level.

In June of 2018, OSHA proposed fines of $120,320 and issued Wisconsin roofing contractor Hector
Hernandez of Town City Construction, violation citations related to fall protection and other safety
hazards on two job sites. The violations included failure to train employees in fall hazards, and not
using the required ladder jack scaffold components.

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And as always, keep safe out there.

By Donesafe at donesafe.com