OSHA’s Top Violations in 2019

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspects workplaces each year to guarantee safety in the workplace. OSHA publishes a list of their frequently violated standards to encourage workplaces to be proactive and prevent future citations.

The preliminary data below represents the top 10 most frequently violated OSHA standards from October 1, 2018, to August 15, 2019, and reflects only federal OSHA violations. The final data for the entire fiscal year (October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019) will be released at the end of November.

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501), with 6,010 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200), with 3,671 violations
3. Scaffolding (1926.451), with 2,813 violations
4. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147), with 2,606 violations
5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134), with 2,450 violations
6. Ladders (1926.1053), with 2,345 violations
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178), with 2,093 violations
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503), with 1,773 violations
9. Machine Guarding (1910.212), with 1,743 violations
10. PPE- Eye and Face Protection (1926.102), with 1,411 violations

The data is largely the same as last year’s, although, PPE- Eye and Face Protection is a newcomer to this year’s list.

Compliance in the workplace can save the company money by preventing injuries that cost the employer employee compensation and employee loss. Employers are encouraged to address compliance issues by utilizing safety and education tools that help communicate hazards.