Updated March 10th, 2021 by Andrew Miller, CSI CDT
In a Feb 26th interview with Safety+Health Magazine, OHSA Deputy Director of Enforcement Programs, Patrick Kapust, presented their preliminary data for the Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for 2020.
The Top 10 for FY 2020 are:
- 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 Life Saving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,369
- Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,313
A notable change is Ladders moving into the top 5 and also important to note that Fall Protection has remained #1 for the 10th successive year.
Here is a look back when we first published these rankings in 2013:
(October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013):
- Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
- Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
- Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
- Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
- Electrical, wiring methods, components, and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305)
- Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
- Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
- Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
- Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303)
- Machinery and Machine Guarding, general requirements (29 CFR 1910.212)
For more information on workplace safety standards see: IBC and OHSA construction standards.