2020 Top 10 OSHA Violations

Whether it’s movies, music, sports teams, or restaurants, Top Ten lists are often fun to chat about and make for good discussion topics. However, not all top ten lists are based on entertainment value and taste; some are based on more serious topics. The National Safety Council and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have recently announced the preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for the 2020 fiscal year.

For the 10th year in a row, Fall Protection – General Requirements is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard in the most cited violations of 2020. The silver lining is that the number of citations for fall protection has continued to drop. In 2018 the number of citations for fall protection was 7,720, which dropped to 6,010 for the 2019 fiscal year, and has dropped again to 5,424 violations for 2020.

The rest of the Top 10 cited violations for 2020 are regulars on the list as well. Some notable changes in rank include Respiratory Protection jumping from No. 5 in 2019 to rank No. 3 in 2020 and Lockout/Tagout falling from No. 4 to No. 6. All but one citation saw a decrease in violations from FY2019 to FY2020. With the jump in rank, the number of Respiratory Protection citations increased by 199 incidences. Here are the 2020 most cited violations per OSHA:

Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,424 violations
Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 3,199
Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,649
Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,538
Ladders (1926.1053): 2,129
Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,065
Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,932
Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,621
Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,369
Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,313

Although the top ten may fluctuate slightly on a year-to-year basis, it is alarming that practically the same ten violations and almost the same number of violations are appearing over and over again. This could be because of a variety of factors, but simply knowing and understanding the OSHA regulations could help reduce future incidents and violations. By identifying potential hazards, reviewing safety procedures with employees, and proper recordkeeping, you can create a safer environment that keeps your employees at work by reducing the chances of accidents and health problems. Having a safe workplace can not only prevent injury/death and reduce violations, but it can also boost productivity and increase morale among employees. When employees are happy, they are more productive and therefore can increase your company’s profitability. This is where ICC Compliance Center can help. We offer various OSHA training that can help your business understand the requirements for emergency planning in the workplace. In addition, we can also create custom signage, labels, and tags, as well as review your OSHA labels and SDS documents. As your global hazmat solutions provider, we are only a phone call away.

Call us today at 1-888-977-4834 and ask how we can help you with the key elements to OSHA compliance or click here.

References:
https://www.nsc.org/newsroom/osha-reveals-top-10-violations-for-fiscal-year-202
https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/osha-reveals-top-10-violations-for-2019-at-nsc-congress-and-expo
https://www.nsc.org/newsroom/osha-top-10-violations-for-2018

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