OSHA
Top 10 OSHA Violations In 2017
Although every business has unique workplace hazards, many businesses also share common pain points that threaten employee safety and can lead to costly OSHA violations. OSHA recently released its 10 most frequently cited violations during its fiscal year 2017, which started in October 2016 and ended the following September.
OSHA’ s list of frequently cited violations may help you identify common pain points in your workplace. Here’ s the list of the top 10 violations in 2017:
1. FALL PROTECTION 6,072 CITATIONS
Falls from ladders and roofs still account for the majority of injuries at work, and the first step in eliminating or reducing falls is to identify all hazards and decide how to best protect employees.
2. HAZARD COMMUNICATION: 4,176 CITATIONS
This standard governs hazard communication to employees about chemicals that are both produced or imported into the workplace. Most violations concern the failure to develop a written hazard training program or failure to provide a Safety Data Sheet for all workplace chemicals.
3. SCAFFOLDING: 3,288 CITATIONS
The vast majority of scaffold accidents can be attributed to planking or support giving way. Employers should ensure that all scaffolding is set up and inspected by a qualified employee before it’ s used.
4. RESPIRATORY PROTECTION: 3,097 CITATIONS
Employers must establish and maintain a respiratory inspection program to protect employees from oxygen-deficient atmospheres and hazardous materials.
5. LOCKOUT / TAGOUT: 2,877 CITATIONS
Employees who service mechanical and electrical equipment face the greatest risk of injury if logout / tagout standards aren’ t properly followed.
6. LADDERS: 2,241 CITATIONS
Most ladder violations occur when ladders are used for purposes other than those designated by the manufacturer, when they aren’ t used on stable surfaces or when defective ladders aren’ t taken out of service.
7. POWERED INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS: 2,162 CITATIONS
Many employees are injured when lift trucks or forklifts are driven off of loading docks or when they fall between docks and unsecured trailers.
8. MACHINE GUARDING: 1,933 CITATIONS
Machine parts can cause serious injuries, but the risk is substantially reduced by installing and maintaining proper machine guards.
26