Top 10 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Violations

Nobody enjoys being put through an OSHA inspection, and all business owners and managers dread the citations that often come with them. Citations can cost thousands of dollars and, in some cases, cause the closure of a business.

In an effort to help you avoid these costly citations we have put together a list of the top ten most frequently cited OSHA violations. If you have related safety exposures in your business you may want to pay some special attention to those areas and make sure you are in compliance.

Here is the list from 2013 according to OSHA.gov:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) – 8,739 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Residential construction (b)(13) – 4,733 violations
• Unprotected sides and edges (b)(1) – 1,696 violations
• Roofing work on low-slope roofs (b)(10) – 912 violations
• Steep roofs (b)(11) – 656 violations
• Holes (b)(4) – 328 violations

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2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) – 6,556 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Maintaining a written hazard communication program (e)(1) – 2,469 violations
• Providing employees with information and training (h)(1) – 1,561 violations
• Chemical container labeling (f)(5) – 701 violations
• Maintaining Safety Data Sheets (g)(8) – 611 violations
• Obtaining or developing safety data sheets (g)(1) – 496 violations

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3. Scaffolding (1926.451) – 5,724 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Protection from falls to a lower level (g)(1) – 1,589 violations
• Planking or decking requirements (b)(1) – 788 violations
• Point of access for scaffold platforms (e)(1) – 781 violations
• Foundation requirements (c)(2) – 632 violations
• Guardrail requirements (g)(4) – 376 violations

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) – 4,153 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Medical evaluation general requirements (e)(1) – 705 violations
• Establishing and implementing written respiratory protection program (c)(1) – 650 violations
• Covering situations when respirator use is not required (c)(2) – 510 violations
• Respirator selection general requirements (d)(1) – 342 violations
• Ensuring employee-used respirators are fit tested (f)(2) – 332 violations

5. Electrical – Wiring methods (1910.305) – 3,709 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Use of flexible cords and cables (g)(1) – 1,004 violations
• Conductors entering boxes, cabinets or fittings (b)(1) – 821 violations
• Identification, splices and terminations (g)(2) – 703 violations
• Covers and canopies (b)(2) – 577 violations
• Temporary wiring (a)(2) – 194 violations

6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) – 3,544 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Safe operation (l)(1) – 905 violations
• Refresher training and evaluation (l)(4) – 575 violations
• Avoidance of duplicative training (l)(6) – 377 violations
• Not taking truck out of service when repairs are necessary (p)(1) – 336 violations
• Maintenance of industrial trucks (q)(7) – 304 violations

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7. Ladders (1926.1053) – 3,524 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Requirements for portable ladders used for accessing upper landing surfaces (b)(1) – 1,866 violations
• Ladder use only for its design purpose (b)(4) – 482 violations
• Using the top of a stepladder as a step (b)(13) – 268 violations
• Marking defective ladders as defective (b)(16) – 215 violations
• Employees shall not carry objects or loads that could cause them to lose balance and fall (b)(22) – 107 violations

8. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) – 3,505 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Energy control procedure (c)(4) – 996 violations
• Periodic inspection (c)(6) – 653 violations
• Energy control program (c)(1) – 651 violations
• Training and communication (c)(7) – 580 violations
• Lockout or tagout device application (d)(4) – 169 violations

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9. Electrical – General Requirements (1910.303) – 2,932 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Installation and use of equipment (b)(2) – 814 violations
• Space around electric equipment (g)(1) – 670 violations
• Guarding of live parts (g)(2) – 347 violations
• Services, feeders and branch circuits (f)(2) – 327 violations
• Examination of equipment (b)(1) – 280 violations

10. Machine Guarding (1910.212) – 2,852 OSHA Violations

Top 5 sections of the standard cited:

• Types of guarding (a)(1) – 1,815 violations
• Point of operation guarding (a)(3) – 662 violations
• Anchoring fixed machinery (b) – 214 violations
• Exposure of blades (a)(5) – 79 violations
• General requirements (a)(2) – 73 violations

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