10th year running: Fall Protection leads OSHA’s annual ‘Top 10’ list of most frequently cited violations

Update: Find additional details and exclusive content in the April issue of Safety+Health.

Itasca, IL — “Fall Protection – General Requirements” is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 10th successive fiscal year, the agency announced Feb. 26 during an exclusive Safety+Health webinar.

Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented preliminary data for OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for fiscal year 2020, which ended Sept. 30. S+H Associate Editor Kevin Druley moderated the session.

Although multiple standards swapped positions, the standards that make up the Top 10 remained unchanged from FY 2019. Of note, a newcomer emerged among the top five: Ladders, which ranked sixth in FY 2019, rose one spot. Additionally, Respiratory Protection climbed to third from fifth, while Lockout/Tagout fell two spots, dropping to sixth from fourth.

The full list:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (29 CFR 1926.501): 5,424 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 3,199
3. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,649
4. Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,538
5. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,129
6. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,065
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,932
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,621
9. Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,369
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,313

“Use the Top 10 as a guide for your workplace,” Kapust recommended. “It’s a good place to start if you don’t know where to start. Look at what OSHA is finding. Look at the things that are applicable to your particular industry as well.”

Look for additional details and exclusive content in the April issue of S+H.