Everybody is on high alert when OSHA comes knocking on the door, especially when serious OSHA Violations can cost up to $14,000 and a Repeat Violation can soar up to $133,000.
You may be saying to yourself, “That’s a lot of money, how can we avoid those citations?”
While there are a lot of common mistakes that lead to citations, we’re going to focus on the top 10 most frequent OSHA citations.
- Fall Protection
- Hazard Communication
- Scaffolding
- Respiratory Protection
- Control of Hazardous Energy (LOTO)
- Ladders
- Powered Industrial Trucks
- Fall Protection (Training Requirements)
- Machinery and Machine Guarding
- Eye and Face Protection
Here we have the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations. Let’s review a couple of them.
Fall Protection
The number one violation is Fall Protection. Key things to remember when trying to prevent a citation on Fall Protection are:
1. Each employee on a walking/working surface 6 feet or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system. If a guardrail system is chosen to provide the fall protection, and a controlled access zone has already been established for leading-edge work, the control line may be used in lieu of a guardrail along the edge that parallels the leading edge.
2. Nearly 40% of deaths in construction are due to falls, so making sure that your employees are safe is not just something that should be done to prevent an OSHA citation but also to assure the safety of your people.
Hazard Communication
Hazard Communication is the second most commonly cited violation and this can come in many different forms, including but not limited to:
1. Not having an SDS Book present. This can be a huge deal as the SDS Book is the one location that should have all the necessary information on all the chemicals being used.
2. Having unlabeled chemicals throughout the job site or the facility. Dealing with unlabeled chemicals makes it easy to get things mixed up, confused with another, and ultimately can lead to serious injury or death if not careful.
We can help with your safety!
Naturally, we do not have time to talk in great detail about all 10 of these violations and the many variables that can surround each of them, but if you do have any further questions or would like to know more please reach out to our STC Team and we are happy to help.
Everything we do is centered around preserving the world’s most precious resource – human life. That is what is important, Our People. Although being safe and complying with the OSHA safety standards can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars, it will also keep your people safe.
Far too many preventable injuries occur in the workplace and STC is on a mission to help create environments for cultural development, adult learning, and a workplace strategically focused on zero harm.
